The Other Woman
by IrishMythe
Summary: The other woman, that's what they called her. One of the more polite names to be sure. She could feel their lingering glares as she strode through the corridors of the castle, she could hear their whispered accusations during lessons, she could feel the mistrust radiating from each and every one of them. And yet, she did not care… and why should she, when she knew the truth?
1. I

**Chapter One**

There are many connotations to the name Weasley: bravery, loyalty, chivalry, pride, family, honour… I am a Weasley and therefore when people first hear of me, they assume I am all of those things, as if my surname was synonymous with those virtues. However, they soon discover that I have none of those things. I am not brave, I am not loyal, I am not chivalrous. I have pride but not in the way they seem to expect and my family does not mean as much to me as people tend to think… and as for honour? Well I have no honour.

Students at Hogwarts no longer associate me with the rest of my family members who uphold those aforementioned virtues but have instead produced a variety of different names for me. The more common of which are 'slut', 'whore' and 'bitch'. The more creative are 'The Thorn' (for I have become a thorn in the side of many girls at Hogwarts and it is no doubt derived from my first name) and 'leech' (because according to a Fourth Year, I suck the happiness out of people's lives). My favourite, however, is 'The Other Woman'.

The irony, of course, is that I am none of those things. Well, almost none, I suppose you could say I was a bitch. You see, while I am constantly on the grapevine of school gossip for steeling so-and-so's boyfriend, little do most people know that I am paid for my kisses. Insecure girls seek me out and beg me to see if their boyfriends are being faithful, asking me to seduce them, so to speak, to see their reaction. Of course, every girl who comes to see me thinks, deep down, that her boyfriend will remain faithful to her. I have yet to fail in seducing a taken man. The girls never seem to tell anyone that they enrolled my services and therefore they all think they are the only ones who have ever asked me for help. Little do they know that half the girls in their dorm have also come to me for assistance.

But the girls are not the only ones who seek me out. The boys come too. They seem to think that because of my reputation, I won't mind helping them out of their 'sticky situations' as they like to put it. Apparently letting your girlfriend find you cheating on her is the easiest way to break up with her. I will never understand boys' logic but as long as they pay me then I could not care less.

You must, no doubt, be wondering how all this came about and how I 'sunk so low' as to ruin peoples relationships for money. Well I suppose I could narrow it down to three events. The first was at the end of Third Year. I was walking back to the common room after ravaging the kitchens when a hand grabbed my arm, pinned me against a wall and a pair of lips crashed down onto mind and started kissing me. It was an awkward kiss; neither of us seemed to be very experienced, in fact, for me, it was my first kiss. I still have not quite forgiven him for taking my first kiss that way.

Anyway, we kissed for a few seconds but before I could even figure out what had happened in my head, or who I was even kissing, or why they were kissing me, a female voice echoed down the corridor. I believe her exact words were: _'Oh Scorpy, how could you do this to me, I love you!'_ And then she ran of crying and that was the end of their pathetic little 'relationship' and the start of my reputation as 'The Other Woman'. Once she had gone, Scorpius Malfoy pulled away from me, whispered _'thank you'_ in my ear and walked off.

By the time school started again, people seemed to have forgotten I ended poor Verity's 'relationship' and I once again became the recluse in the library. That was until Dave McLaggen entered my life in mid-September of my Fourth Year. I had been sitting in the library studying for a Potions test when he walked in and asked if I could help him out with something. I nodded, dumbfound, and he sat beside me. He was in my year and was going to try out for Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, he figured that seeing as I was already on the team, I would know what they were looking for in a potential candidate. Two weeks later, we were a couple and so began the whirlwind that was our romance.

For three months, Dave became the centre of my world. We studied together, we ate together, we spent all our free time together… he even made the team which meant that we practiced together too. The only times we were apart were when we were in lessons, or asleep. Any resemblances to friendships I had before then disappeared completely and I was absorbed in a world where no one but Dave existed.

Then, a week before the Christmas holiday, I walked around a corner to come face to face with my worst nightmare: Dave in the embrace of another girl. He had her pinned against the wall and was kissing her passionately, more passionately than he had ever kissed me, and one hand was up her shirt. For several moments, my mind went completely blank.

When at last I came to my senses, instead of breaking down and shouting at him like a normal girl would have done, I turned around, marched into the Entrance Hall, grabbed the first boy who looked vaguely my age and kissed him fully on the mouth. In front of a large portion of the student body. Of course, luck being on my side (and I am never quite sure if that is sarcasm) the boy I kissed was Scorpius Malfoy.

I then proceeded to whisper in his ear, telling him to pretend we had been seeing each other for a while and that this was his payment for the end of Third Year and the whole 'Verity Incident'. He agreed willingly and I later discovered that he had been trying to find a way of getting rid of his then girlfriend Camilla. Anyway, my embarrassment that Dave had cheated on me was lessened by the fact that it now looked as if I had cheated on him.

The third event that sealed the deal, so to speak, was the first time someone asked me for help and offered to pay for it. For a while now, I had hated living off my parents' money and the idea of being able to make some of my own while I was still at school took a hold of me like a fever and has yet to let me go. Her name was Edie Edgecombe and she was a Ravenclaw in my year. It was late January and the whole 'Scorpius Scandal' had died down somewhat. Edie was dating a Gryffindor in the year above called Sam Perks. I remember the conversation like it was yesterday…

"_Hello," a timid voice asks from behind me. Turning, I see a small brunette standing nervously by my chair. "Are you Rose Weasley?" I nod, knowing she only asked the question as an icebreaker. Everyone in the wizarding world knows who I am. "Um… I was wondering if maybe you could help me with something…?" I raise an eyebrow. "I'll, uh, I'll pay you," she stutters._

"_Go on," I promote, suddenly interested._

"_Well, it's a bit awkward… And I totally get if you say you can't help… It's just…Well…"_

"_Just spit it out." Okay, so I am not the most polite person, get over it._

"_Ithinkmyboyfriendischeatingo nme." She rushes and it takes me a moment to decipher what she said._

"_And how can I help?" I ask, disgruntled._

"_Well, you're really pretty and…" she trails off, looking down._

"_And what?"_

"_Well, I know it's ridiculous… But I was wondering if maybe you could, oh I don't know, try and seduce him or something," she mutters. I stare at her. She wants me to seduce her boyfriend?_

"_You want me to seduce your boyfriend?"_

"Try_ to seduce him. If you succeed then I know he isn't being faithful but if you don't then I can stop worrying because then I know he's not cheating on me," she explains and I begin to understand why I was not sorted into Ravenclaw. Only a Ravenclaw could come up with such a ridiculous but at the same time brilliant plan._

"_How much?"_

"_What?"_

"_How much will you pay me to seduce your boyfriend?"_

"Try_ to seduce," she repeats as if she believes her boyfriend won't succumb. "And ten galleons."_

"_Make it fifteen__ and you have a deal."_

"_Fine."_

"_And I want it paid in advance."_

"_Fine," she snaps and I hear the jingling of coins as she pulls out a bag. "Here's ten and you can have the rest later," she mumbles and gets up to leave. "Oh… and I want to watch to make sure you are not lying to me."_

I still think Edie should have been a Slytherin. I did as she asked; it took all of ten minutes to seduce Sam Perks in a deserted corridor with Edie watching from behind a suit of armour. She was furious when he pinned me against the wall and started snogging me like I was an oxygen replacement. She ranted on at him while I just slipped away into the shadows. She had paid the other five earlier and I have not spoken to her since. It appears however, that she never mentioned to anyone that she asked for my help. And I never told anyone either.

After that, I began to really build up my reputation and before long, even those previously confident in their relationships were coming to me, worried because I had proved so many other relationships had been weak enough to crumble with just a little of my flattery.

Once my reputation was built, boys started seeking me out too, aware that I had no qualms about breaking up relationships and asking me to assist them end theirs. It was around this time that I stole the Marauder's Map from my cousin James Potter. It came in handy when waiting for irritating girlfriends to show up.

By the end of Fifth Year, I became known as 'The Other Woman'.

By the end of Sixth Year, I began to question the intelligence of my fellow students. I did not understand how no one had pieced together what I was doing. I was only ever spotted kissing taken boys and it was only ever their girlfriends that caught us. Anyone who put their mind to it would have been able to see the pattern. After two and a half years, I was shocked that no one had.

So entering my Seventh Year, I was curious to see if anyone had finally clicked. By the time I got to Hogwarts, it was clear no one had. Or, if they had, they did not say anything. Instead, I was given my first job of the year by Felicity Smith, whose concerns over her boyfriend's loyalty had grown over the summer to the extent where she was willing to ask for my help.

So here I am, waiting in a deserted corridor near the dungeons. Of all the Houses, I am asked for help most by either Slytherin boys, or girls with Slytherin boyfriends. In this case, obviously, it is the latter. He is a Sixth Year who has succumbed to my temptations at least twice before. When the echoing of voices from the Entrance Hall drift down the corridors, I position myself and nod to Smith, who is tucked away behind a stone statue. It does not take long before students with emerald trimmed robes begin to wander towards their common room.

When I spot Smith's boyfriend, Matthew Flint, making his way in our direction with some other Sixth Year Slytherins, I carefully step into their path as they walk by, purposefully walking into Flint and dropping my books. He looks startled but bends to pick them up anyway, waving his friends on when they stop. The girl amongst them glares daggers at me and I smile sweetly back. Her ex-boyfriend paid me to kiss him at the end of last year.

"Rose," Flint nods as he hands me back my books. No one ever calls me Weasley anymore except for a few of the Professors. "Have a good summer?" Oh so he was going to make conversation with me? This would be over quicker than I thought.

"It was alright," a shrug noncommittally, checking all my books. "I think my Charms textbook is still around here somewhere," I frown and look around by our feet. Flint immediately gets to his knees to check behind another one of the stone statues that so handily adorn the dungeon corridors. When he finds nothing, I offer a hand to help him up. He takes it and as he stands, I pretend to trip. He automatically catches me and I look up at him with grateful eyes. He absentmindedly moves us out of the main corridor and into the side one where Smith is waiting and watching.

"Are you okay?" he murmurs, not letting go of my waist. I just nod and bite my lip. He brushes a strand of hair from my face. "Are you sure? You look a bit pale…" he murmurs again, pulling me slightly closer to him. The 'weak and helpless girl' is my least favourite persona but I am oddly good at it and it has some of the quickest results.

"You just knocked your shoulder against my lip," I mutter, allowing myself to blush slightly. Flint's hand immediately moves from my waist to my mouth but before he touches it, he whispers:

"Would you like me to kiss it better?" Then he presses two fingers against my lower lip and I let out what appears to be an involuntary gasp. It is the gasp that does it. His hand snakes around the back of my neck while the other remains on my waist, pulling me flush against him. His lips are nothing special but I pretend to sink into them willingly. Luckily I do not have to wait long before Smith's voice rings out in a piercing screech.

Flint jerks away instantly and I question how many brain cells he actually has. I mean this is the third time he has kissed me and the third time that his girlfriend has caught him. Seriously, how thick is he?

Oh well, job done, another twenty galleons in the bag (my price went up somewhere in the middle of Fifth Year when a greasy Hufflepuff asked me to seduce her rather disgusting boyfriend; I had to brush my teeth twice after that). Slinking off back into the main corridor, I swing my bag back onto my shoulder and head for the kitchens.

"Already draining the happiness from young couple I see," a voice sneers from the darkness. I roll my eyes and keep on walking. "I'm surprised you picked Flint first though… I would have expected you to come running to me," the voice continues.

"Jealous are we Malfoy?" I snigger in return. Malfoy snorts.

"Like I could ever want a blood traitor like you," he mocks, stepping into stride with me. "You just always seem to be finding new ways to get me to kiss you… I take pity on your feeble attempts at subtlety and _oblige_ you. I could never_ want_ you," he explains. I hide my frown behind a sneer. If anyone ever pieces together what I am doing, it will be Malfoy. For some reason, the guy goes through girls like a normal person goes through underwear, or socks. Everything will be fine for a few days and then each and every one of his 'conquests' comes running to me and begs for my help. Kissing Malfoy has become a steady job for me. I would say that his girlfriends come running to me when they want to end things with Malfoy (because that is inevitably what happens when I get involved) but for some reason they all honestly believe that they are his one and only and that he would never cheat on them… I have proved every single one of them wrong.

"Whatever you say, Malfoy," I sigh condescendingly before waving at him over my shoulder and turning down the corridor to the kitchens. Thankfully, he does not follow so I have no witnesses as I tickle the blasted pear and step into the warm bustle of one of my favourite places in the whole world.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hello there, I'm IrishMythe and this is my first story on this site, so bear with me. How do you like Rose so far? She is a Seventh Year Gryffindor, not Head Girl though but is on the Quidditch team, any thoughts on what position? If you have any questions for my characters or just want to see what they look like, check out by blog, you can get the link on my profile page. Thanks for reading, much love,**

**~ IrishMythe**


	2. II

**Chapter Two**

It is several hours past curfew by the time I make it back to the Fat Lady and the Gryffindor common room. By now the Prefects have all gone to bed so the only thing I have to fear in the shadows of Hogwarts' hallways is other straying students and the caretakers sodding cat. Luckily I do not come across either and make it to the portrait hole without mishap. The Fat lady glowers at me as I wake her from her snooze and mutter the password.

"Really Miss Weasley, what time do you call this? I dread to think what you've been up to," she sneers suggestively but I ignore her and clamber through into the almost dark common room. The only light comes from the glowing coals in the fireplace. Making my way across the crimson room, I crouch before the fireplace and begin stoking the fire back to life.

"This is late even for you," a voice murmurs behind me. If I had not checked the map just before I came in, I would have started at the sound of another person voice in this seemingly empty room. As it is, I reply without even turning around.

"I think you'll find it is early as opposed to late."

"Whatever Rose," the voice grumbles as its owner manoeuvres themselves into a sitting position. "I need your help," they mumble at last. I wait for them to continue. "You see… I have this problem."

"When people ask for help, it is generally assumed they have a problem," I mutter.

"Yeah, yeah… Anyway, I've been seeing this guy for a while now but we've kept it secret. I want to go public but he doesn't and I'm worried it is because he is also seeing someone else," the voice mutters. "I was wondering if you'd see how he reacted if you came onto him," they finish bluntly.

"It will cost you."

"Twenty galleons, I know," she sighs. This is not the first time she has asked for my help.

"I'm going to need to know his name Lucy," I sigh and turn around to face my cousin. It is no surprise really that I had no idea she was even seeing someone. I do not tend to keep track of who all my cousins are dating and despite the fact that I am closer to Lucy than the rest of them, I still do not particularly care about who she is with. Why should I? Even if she is the closest thing I have to a friend. It's not my life.

"Well that's the thing…" she mumbles awkwardly and I repress I sigh. It was typical Lucy to go for someone embarrassing or weird. Last time I helped her, she was dating a guy in the year below who never stopped chewing gum. Ever. It was disgusting and I made her pay me an extra five galleons.

"I can't help unless I know his name."

"Please don't hate me," she rushes, causing me to narrow my eyes at her.

"Lucy, you know full well that my emotional range goes from mild interest to irritated. Anything more extreme I don't feel." It was partly true. Ever since the incident with Dave, I have stopped myself feeling anything extreme. It is not worth it.

"I know it's just that… Well…"

"Just spit it out."

"It's Dave," she blurts out rather loudly, clearly frightened of my reaction.

"No." I say simply, turning back to the fire.

"Please Rose, I'll pay extra."

"No."

"Please," she begs.

"No."

"Ro, I'll do anything," she pleads.

"Lucy, you know full well that you will not do _anything_ because that is a ridiculous thing to suggest. Would you jump off the Astronomy Tower? Because that is included in the concept of 'anything'. Would you drown yourself in the Black Lake with the Giant Squid? Because that is also included in 'anything'… It is an absurd thing to say."

"Ro, you're changing the subject," Lucy sighs. "I just want to know if he won't go public because he's not serious about me, that's all, and you are the only person I know who can help me."

"Well that is a shame because I cannot help you." She rolls her eyes at my sarcasm.

"Jeez Ro," she grumbles. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you still had feelings for the guy."

"Go to bed Lucy," I instruct over my shoulder, keeping my face blank. She just gives me a pleading look before getting up and heading for the Seventh Year girls' dormitory. It was ludicrous. Utter insanity. How dare she even _ask_ for my help?

As I take her seat on the couch, I stare at the dark shadows that are the ceiling and try to get her words out of my head. _I'd say you still had feelings for the guy_. I do not. In case you are wondering. I don't feel anything that extreme, remember? Then why do those words bother me so much? I suppose there is only one thing I can do. I will have to prove to Lucy that I honestly do not have any feelings left for Dave McLaggen. I will show her that what happened really doesn't matter to me anymore. I will do as she asks and I will seduce him. I will make him want me again. And then I will slink off into the shadows while my cousin hexes his brains out.

The first day of lessons arrives and I breeze through classes half asleep. It is a permanent problem of mind: I am constantly tired throughout the day but when night comes, I can never get to sleep until the early hours of the morning. And I mean the _late_ early hours if you get me. The Professors never seem to notice though and as I am not failing anything, they hardly care even if they do notice. Professor Longbottom is the only one who ever gave me any hassle but after I persistently fell asleep in his lessons and was still able to get and Outstanding in my OWL, he left me alone.

I spend my free periods in the library as usual but today no uncertain girls or frustrated boys come and seek my help. I get ahead on my homework before putting my head down on the desk and drifting off to sleep for half an hour. That is another talent of mine, it doesn't not matter what time I go to sleep, if I tell myself I have to be awake by a certain time, I automatically wake up at exactly that time. It is quite useful as it means I do not have to rely on alarm clocks.

"Ro? Ro, wake up," someone nudges me in the ribs and I can feel them pushing my books to the side of the table as they sit down beside me. Opening my eyes, I am greeted with a blurry world and a clock face that says I still have seven minutes to sleep.

"Go away Lucy," I sigh before resting my head back on the table.

"No, I wanted to talk to you about last night. Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you–"

"I'll do it," I interrupt.

"You'll… You'll do it?" Lucy asks in surprise.

"Yes. Now go away."

"And you're not just saying that?"

"Do you want to make an Unbreakable Vow or something? Yes, I will do it," I snap.

"Okay, okay, thank you so much Rose, it means a lot," Lucy smiles before backing away from me and out of the library. I fall straight back to sleep for the remaining five minutes until it is time for my last lesson of the day: Potions. My favourite.

I nod to Professor Zabini as I enter his dungeon classroom and take a seat at the back. He is the only Professor whose eyes do not glaze over me as he looks around at the class. Most Professors tend to act like I do not exist which, to be honest, I quite like. Zabini is different. If I had to name one Professor that I respected even in the slightest, it would be him.

The NEWT level potions class is quite small. There is the shy Hufflepuff girl who sits in the corner and doesn't talk to anyone; there are the two Ravenclaw nerds who have an unfortunate tendency to blow up their potions; there is my cousin Albus who only takes Potions because he wants to be an Auror; there is Albus' friend Keegan Finnigan; a thuggish looking Slytherin who I am pretty sure would not even hurt a fly, Scorpius Malfoy and, of course, myself.

"Please get yourselves into pairs," Zabini drones as he begins to write the instructions on the board with his wand. The thuggish looking Slytherin looks hesitantly at the shy Hufflepuff who smiles at him in return and he plucks up the courage to go and join her on her table in the corner. Albus and Keegan immediately high five and begin gathering ingredients and the Ravenclaw nerds trip over their own feet in their excitement to light the fire for the cauldron.

"Looks like you're stuck with me Thorn," someone murmurs from above me and I look up to see the only other partnerless person in the room: Scorpius Sodding Malfoy. I am never quite sure why I don't like Malfoy, I just keep telling myself that it is more than the fact he stole my first kiss, because quite frankly, that is a ridiculous notion. I mean, first kiss don't mean anything.

"Aren't I like," I sneer back and scrape my chair across the stone slabs as I get up to grab some ingredients.

"No need to sound too enthusiastic," Malfoy mutters. I ignore him.

Similarly to the Hufflepuff and her partner, Malfoy and I work in silence; he measures out the ingredients while I stir the potion, making up my own method. The text book is lying open in front of us but neither of us really pays any attentions to it. Across the room, one of the Ravenclaws is trying to demist his glasses while the other tries to lessen the smoke rising from their cauldron. Albus and Keegan are throwing ingredients in randomly, too busy talking about Quidditch to pay any attention to their potion.

"Miss Weasley, Mr Malfoy," Zabini sighs. "It appears you work well together, ten points to each of your Houses," he nods before moving on to the mess the Ravenclaws had made. "It seems wit does not mean everything I see," he mocks.

"So Thorn," Malfoy smirks. "Been breaking any hearts lately?"

"And what makes you think I would tell you if I had?" I reply monotonously without looking up from the cauldron.

"Well you haven't been snogging me so I assume you've found someone else to snog. Merlin knows you cannot control you hormones," he replies in the tone of voice you would normally associate with discussions on the weather.

"At the rate you carry on Malfoy, you might lead me to think that you _want_ me to be snogging you."

"We've been through this before Thorn," he sighs. "I just indulge your obsession with me out of pity; I could never want someone like you."

"Someone like me? And who exactly is someone like me?"

"Well that's the thing Thorn: there is no one as screwed up as you are."

"Thank you for that invaluable insight Malfoy."

"You're welcome Thorn… So how is Quidditch practice?" he changes the subject so suddenly I am almost thrown.

"The same as ever."

"Need any new players for the team this year?"

"A couple."

"New Chasers?"

"One."

"New Seeker?"

"No."

"New Beaters?"

"One."

"New Keeper?"

"No."

"Still McLaggen then?"

"Yes."

"I never liked him much."

"Well it's a good thing he isn't on your team then, isn't it?" I reply with a sneer.

"Do you like him?"

"Who?"

"McLaggen?"

"I don't have an opinion on him."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Okay, please put one vial of your potion on my desk and vanish the rest before putting away the equipment and any leftover ingredients," Zabini instructs the class. Before Malfoy can say a thing, I scoop up one vial of the lavender potion and levitate it to Zabini's desk before vanishing the rest.

"That is the epitome of lazy," Malfoy nods his head to the vial I had just levitated. I just shrug and begin clearing away. "Well, have fun at Quidditch practice," he calls over his shoulder as he slings his bag up onto it and walks out of the class room behind Albus and Keegan. The Ravenclaws are still trying to scrape together a vial's worth of potion and the thuggish looking Slytherin is awkwardly offering to carry the Hufflepuff's bag.

It is only September but so far North, the light is already beginning to fade by the time we have finished classes. As I make my way down to the Quidditch pitch I wonder if Albus will make us practice in the dark – it would not be a first. Throwing my school bag and books into my locker, I pull out my Quidditch robes the House Elves must have put in here earlier and begin to change before any of the other team members arrive.

As luck would have it, our Keeper is the first down. I manage to avoid speaking to Dave unless absolutely necessary and he tends to follow my lead but for some reason, today he decides on a different tact.

"Hello Rose," he smiles as he comes in and dumps his bad down. "How was your summer?"

"Okay," I reply, staring at my shoes. He begins to change in front of me. It is nothing unusual, we normally all change together, but it still doesn't feel right. Even though I feel absolutely nothing for him anymore, I mean it has been almost three years. "How was yours?"

"Pretty good," he grins, evidently surprised to have gotten a response out of me. "Reckon Al will make us train in the dark?"

"Maybe," I shrug.

"Any idea who's trying out this year?"

"No."

"There was a decent bloke who tried out for Chaser last year but I can't remember his name. He almost beat Keegan onto the team," Dave suggests.

"Can't remember," I shrug again.

"What about the Beater though? You got any idea who you might want to play with?"

"Nope."

"Right…" Thankfully our increasingly awkward conversation is interrupted as Albus and Keegan barge in, broom slung casually over their shoulders. They both greet Dave enthusiastically and start chatting about the summer while I just sit there and wait. At last Lucy shows up and I notice her smile discreetly at Dave. Whether he notices I cannot tell as he doesn't respond.

"Come on then team, let's go see what we've got to work with," Albus shouts over the hubbub of conversation. Everyone immediately shuts up and grabs their broom before following Albus onto the pitch. "Right everyone!" Albus yells at the gathered students, the shinning Captain's badge on his chest catching the remains of the light. "If you are trying out for anything other than a Chaser or a Beater, sorry, we don't need you. If you are not in Gryffindor, get loss, we don't need you either. And if you are crap… Well hang around so we can laugh at you," Albus grins at the remaining students, most of whom are clutching their brooms nervously.

"Al… Is that your sister?" Keegan asks rather loudly, indicating to a red head near the back to the crowd. Albus peers at the girl, standing on tiptoes to get a better view, and finally decides that it is, indeed, his little sister.

"Right Lily," he grins wickedly. "I see you were listening to my last instruction," he winks and Lily pulls a face at him. "Okay, the rest of you… If you are trying out for Beater, go over there, if you are trying out for Chaser, go over there," he orders and the group splits into two uneven clusters. The smaller group are those trying out for Beater and I have a small feeling my reputation may have something to do with that as whoever gets that place has to work with me. Which unsurprisingly does not appeal to most people.

"Chaser split into threes, Beaters into pairs," Albus orders and signals for Dave to get a Quaffle. "Beaters, go talk to Rose, Chasers, follow me," and with that, Albus kicks off into the air and Dave passes him the Quaffle.

Turning reluctantly to the group of Beater candidates, I notice a couple of them are glaring at me.

"First rule of the Quidditch pitch: anything that has happened, is happening or might happen outside the pitch, stays outside the pitch. Nothing matters in here except for Quidditch. Understood?" I bark out. "Are you all in pairs?" A couple of people nod their heads. "Right, I want you to take one of these cricket balls and hit it back and forth between your pair," I instruct and hand out several cricket balls. A couple of students look a little confused as to what a cricket ball actually is. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

It does not take long for me to distinguish between the hopeless cases and those with potential. I quickly end the dreams of the hopeless ones and divide the remaining four into new pairs before setting loose a real Bludger and instructing them to chase it. As they race around the pitch, I go over to Albus who as just touched back down to the ground, looking thoroughly windswept.

"I've got four potentials, one I don't think I will be able to work with; one who has a good arm but doesn't notice the Bludger until it is almost in front of her, one who wears so much mascara she can barely keep her eyes open and one who I think is clearly the best option but, well… she's your sister," I shrug. "I'll let you choose. Just not the blonde, she looks like she wants to murder me in my sleep and then get in your pants."

"Well, she is more than welcome in my pants," Albus snorts as he looks across at the potential new Beaters. "And the short brunette with the eyelid problem has already been in my pants so that's not a good option. Is the tall brunette really that bad at spotting the Quaffle?" I nod. "Well looks like we have our new Beater then," he frowns. "Never had her down as a Beater though… I suppose she does have a good arm. She's punched me more times than I can count and let me tell you, she doesn't punch light."

A few minutes later, we have our team: Albus as Seeker; Keegan, Lucy and Will Henderson as Chasers; Dave as Keeper and Lily and I as Beaters. It is an unusual outcome, none of us expected Lily to try out, least of all for the Beater position but life is full of surprises isn't it?

Albus then makes us practice for the next three hours in the rain. I think Will and Lily are already regretting trying out for the team.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hello, thank you for reading, the next chapter is almost done, in the mean time, check out my blog for this story (link on my profile page) and feel free to ask my characters questions. Thanks again,**

**~ IrishMythe**


	3. III

Paste your document here..

**Chapter Three**

The library is peaceful as I roam the shelves in search of an advanced Potions book. It is three weeks into term and I am already ahead in Potions. Zabini suggested that Malfoy and I try some potions that are not actually a requirement for NEWTs but that will push our capabilities. It seems Malfoy has become my permanent Potions partner.

A small cough behind me alerts me to the presence of a small but slutty looking girl with a ludicrous amount of makeup on her otherwise plan face. "Rose Weasley?" she asks and I nod. "You're the one who always gets with Scorpius when he has girlfriends right?" I just hem slightly. "Well, he's my boyfriend now and everything has been going just great until a few days ago when he started to seem off… Has he been cheating on me with you?"

"No."

"Do you think he would?"

"I could try," I shrug, pulling out the Potions book I had been looking for and wiping the dust off with my sleeve.

"What do you mean?"

"I could try to get him to kiss me. Then you'll know if he really is loyal to you or not… Believe me, if there is anyone he would cheat on you with, it would probably be me," I explain without looking at her face which I can guess is growing steadily redder.

"I don't need you to come on to by boyfriend thank you very much! And he would never cheat on me, he loves me," she says with an attempt at finality but I have already planted that seed of doubt in her mind and she cannot get rid of it.

"If you're so sure, then it wouldn't matter if I came on to him, he wouldn't kiss me anyway," I reply. She frowns, her face contorting into what I can only assume is her 'thinking expression'.

"I suppose…" she mutters.

"But if he isn't loyal to you, wouldn't you rather just know then be strung along?"

"I guess…"

"So really, it makes sense that you want my help," I smile, lulling her into the false impression that it was all her idea to begin with.

"Yeah… That makes sense. You could try and get him to cheat on me and if he does, which he won't, then I can just dump him but if he doesn't… Then I will know he really loves me."

"It will cost you twenty galleons."

"What?"

"Twenty galleons."

"You want me to pay you?" she asks aghast that anyone would want money for the chance to snog Scorpius Malfoy. I nod. "How about ten?" I shake my head. "Fifteen?" Another shake and I begin to walk off down the row of books. "Fine! Fine, twenty," she snaps. "But I want to see it so I know you aren't just making things up," she sneers, obviously afraid I will try and break her and her precious boyfriend up for my own gain.

"Seven thirty, the little corridor leading off the main hallway to the Slytherin common room." I instruct before slamming shut the book I had been flicking through and walking away. It was a standard meeting. I should have been in Slytherin for the way I can manipulate dumb girls like her.

And it is Scorpius Malfoy. Easy. I have pretty much been waiting for his first girlfriend to come running to me.

Returning to my study table in the far corner of the library, I notice another redhead is sitting down in one of the vacant seats. Lucy looks up and smiles as I sit down. "Hey Ro," she sighs, putting down her quill. I nod in greeting. While Lucy is the closest thing I have to a friend, she herself, spends more time with the other girls in our dorm so I do not see her all that often. "So, I've been wondering when you were going to help me out with Dave," she explains bluntly.

"I'm just laying some ground work," I reply automatically.

"Ground work?"

"Yes, ground work." You see, in my rather broad experiences with the opposite sex, I have discovered that some guys take more time to figure out than others. I have to make them notice me before I throw myself at them, make them curious, make them think I am interested, get into their head so they cannot help but be fascinated by me. Ironically, I have to make them think they stand a chance with me… Even though they are the taken one. Other guys like Malfoy and Flint just need a suggestive smile and they are all mine.

Lucy doesn't say anything but I can tell she wants to. Eventually opens she opens mouth and asks: "You will help me, won't you? I know you have history with Dave but I really like him… I just need to know if he likes me as much," she frowns.

"Yes Lucy, I will help you," I smile slightly to comfort her. "But remember, I will not be held responsible for what happens. Boys are fickle creatures, they are never constant and never loyal. I don't know what Dave will do but you need to be prepared for the worst… If you aren't, then don't ask for my help," I explain as I begin making notes on a Potion I want to try next lesson. Lucy just nods, clearly worried.

"Right team," Albus bellows from the other end of the pitch and the rest of us automatically stop what we are doing and fly towards him. I flash a smile at Dave on my way, he almost flies into Lily in surprise. "Well that was an okay practice, we really need to get into shape before the opening match against Slytherin…" he drones above the racket of the wind. "Will and Lily, you're not doing too bad for beginners but we really have to step it up an notch. Practice will now be on a Wednesday afternoon as well, okay?" he asks and is received with groans from Lily, Lucy and Keegan. Dave, oddly enough, is too busy sneaking glances at me to pay attention to Albus.

"Seriously mate?" Keegan moans and Albus responds with a death glare.

"I'll see you then but I expect you to be training regularly every day. Laps, a bit of flying, some target practice... Anything, I just want you to be doing something to improve your fitness," he barks. "Now let's go get changed before the measly Hufflepuffs invade the pitch."

Keegan starts a mud fight with Lily and Albus on the way to the changing rooms, leaving Lucy, Will, Dave and myself in an oddly awkward silence. Will is still a bit shy around the rest of us as he is the new guy (Lily doesn't really count because she is related to three of us anyway) so Lucy takes pity on him and starts a conversation about the other teams tactics. This leaves Dave and I walking in silence. We fall behind Lucy and Will and Dave continues to sneak glances at me until he is practically staring at me. Oh the things a single smile can do. The people who smile too much never quite realise the potential of what they could do with that smile because it becomes a common thing to behold. Those who smile rarely can truly appreciate the wonders of a smile. I am one of the latter.

"So Rose," Dave starts when we are almost at the changing rooms. "I haven't seen you around much lately, what have you been up to?"

"Not much, just studying for NEWTs," I reply with an extra effort not to come across too cold.

"Right, yeah, NEWTs," he mutters. One smile and he is a stuttering wreck. I should try this tactic more often; it is rather amusing to be honest. I push open the door and begin to pull off my Quidditch jersey, causing Dave to blush and look away. I just continue to strip off my outer garments until I am in only my pants and a vest top. Lucy and Will enter behind us and Lucy flashes Dave a smile that he does not notice because he is too busy watching me walk over to the showers. Lucy frowns before turning back to Will and flicking her hair over her shoulder and fluttering her eyelashes at him.

Dave still doesn't notice.

As I step into the shower and out of the slightly unexpected situation in the changing room, I begin to mull the thought over in my head. After almost three years of awkwardly trying to avoid talking to Dave, all I had to do was smile at him and he was already hooked. To think of all the times I have thought of excuses to avoid him, all I had to do was pay him some attention and suddenly he was in the palm of my hand.

Something about that does not seem right. Something is not as it seems and I am determined to get to the bottom of it. I may be a Gryffindor but as I have already mentioned, I really ought to have been a Slytherin. I have the determination to rival most of those in Slytherin House. If I want something, I will get it. Almost every time.

Seven thirty finds me waiting impatiently for the slutty Slytherin girl I am supposed to be meeting here. Due to Malfoy's infidelity, I am more than accustomed to the slight damp of the dungeons but that does not make it any more comfortable. Unfortunately, I did not ask for the girl's name so the Map is somewhat pointless. I can see Malfoy on in though, sitting at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall with some of his cronies.

"Have you got the money?" I ask bluntly as the girl finally sashays around the corner. Her bottom lips turns up in disgust as she hands me a small pouch. Knowing we have a bit of time before Malfoy comes down, I count out the money to make sure it is all there. "You're missing five galleons," I drone. She glares at me but when I make no move for a deal, she grudgingly shoves her hand into the pocket of her robes and pulls out the other five. "Good, now you can stand over there, by that statue…" I point to the stone goblin a little way down the corridor. She turns her nose up at the slight of it, shoots me one last glare before frolicking over to where I had pointed.

This is not the first time I have sincerely questioned Malfoy's taste in girls. It seems to have gotten progressively worse over the last few years. I mean really…. She actually _frolicked_.

After a few minutes, someone speaks.

"Good evening Thorn," murmurs a deep and unsettlingly familiar voice. "Are you lost? Or have you just come to seek out my company?" he purrs, stepping into the side corridor where I am leaning against the wall.

"That latter of course Malfoy," I shoot him a fake, sickeningly sweet smile. He just smirks and steps closer.

"Still haven't gotten over your obsession with me then? I was wondering when you were going to come and find me. You must have missed me terribly over the summer…" He is now standing so close our bodies are almost touching. "I don't suppose you've heard that I have a girlfriend now, have you?"

"And when has that ever stopped you from succumbing to me before?" I whisper in his ear, sliding my hands up his chest. Seducing Malfoy is getting far too easy. It is almost like he wants to get caught…

"My, my, little Thorn," he sniggers. "Being a little bit forward are we?" I just smirk up at him and he rests a hand on the wall by my head while the other comes up to remove a strand of hair from my cheek. "You never change do you?"

"Why are you still talking?" I mutter, making him laugh slight before bring his lips to meet mine. He kisses me gently and I just let my mind go blank. Kissing boys is my job. The hand he had used to move the strand of my hair now buries itself deep into my red curls to fasten my face to his as his tongue slips out and traces the curve of my bottom lip. I normally do not need to go as far as tongues but Malfoy's girlfriend must be in shock as she has not said a word yet. Opening my mouth, I allow his tongue entry.

Although I would never admit it to him (or anyone else for that matter) of all the boys I have snogged – and there have been quite a few – Malfoy is probably one of the best kissers. He just has a way of making you want just a little bit more each time he changes the tone of the kiss. As much as I do not like the guy, his kissing makes up for the amount of times I have had to seduce him.

Finally, his girlfriend breaks her silence.

"You fucking wanker!" she screeches. "You said you hated her! You said you wouldn't go near her and that she was just your play thing and that you didn't need her now that you had me! How could you do this to me, Scorpy? How could you do this to _us_? We're perfect for each other Scorps, had could you ruin everything for a kiss from that _slut_?"

Seemingly reluctantly, Malfoy pulls away from our kiss, leaving us both a little short of breath. He rests his forehead against mine and looks me in the eye. There is a twinkle in them that suggests he knew he was going to get caught. I honestly will never understand his twisted mind. Ever.

"Hello Clarissa," he sighs, turning away from me. I simply pick up my bag, sling it over my shoulder and walk off while Malfoy stands there, listening to slutty Clarissa's rant. Well that was an easy twenty galleons. And I would bet half of it that he will have another girlfriend by the end of this week. That is, if I had anyone to bet with.

As always, the Gryffindor common room is almost empty by the time I get up there. The Fat Lady glares at me in what has become our evening ritual before letting me through. Sometimes I wonder if she ever tells other portraits about the lateness of my appearances and, in turn, if any of them has ever told any of the Professors. I have never been queried about it so I can only assume they have kept it to themselves. Either that or the Professors are willing to turn a blind eye… Or would rather just not know what I get up to.

Of course, the Map lets me know who is still lurking in the common room at this time and I spot a name hovering by the fireplace. I should have guessed. This is getting too easy. Bracing myself, I climb into the dimly lit room and head over to the fireplace, throwing my bag carelessly into the person lying down on the couch, as if I had not known they were there.

"Fuck–" they jerk up as my bag lands on their stomach. "Rose! You scared the shit out of me!"

"Merlin, sorry, I didn't see you," I lie, retrieving my bag and moving around to the front of the couch to sit by the fireplace. "What are you even doing down here this late?"

"Waiting for you," Dave murmurs. "I know you never come back till late." I keep my gaze fixed on the fire. Something is definitely off. "I just wanted to catch up with you… It seems like we haven't talked in ages," he shrugs and I can tell he is faking nonchalance.

"We spoke at Quidditch practice," I frown.

"Not really, I just wanted to know how you were… You seem kind of distant," he mumbles.

"I am the same as I have always been," I lie. Lying is becoming too easy for me.

"No you're not Rose," he sits up rests his hands on his knees. "You used to love life, now it's like you are just enduring it. What happened to the Rose I knew? What happened to the Rose I… I loved?" My breath catches and I turn to look over my shoulder at him, putting the fire poker down, just in time to see him lower his head and mutter those last words.

"She never really existed," I reply coldly before getting up and grabbing my bag. Never, in the three crazy months I was with him, did he _ever_ tell me I loved him. Not once. So why on earth is he confessing how he felt now? After three _years_? Something is most certainly not right. And I do not want to be a part of any game Dave McLaggen is playing.

"Rose…" he protests as I walk away from him. "Damn it Rose," he curses, more to himself than to me, as I disappear into the darkness of the staircase leading to the girls dormitories. Well that may have put a dent in my plans to seduce him for Lucy. Why on earth did I agree to that again?

"Rose?"

"Lucy?"

"You're early," she murmurs from her bed.

"I'm tired," I reply dully, heading into the bathroom.

"Was Dave downstairs?" she whispers. I hesitate only a moment before replying.

"No."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hello again, hope you enjoyed it, let me know your thoughts. Also, check out my blog (link of profile page) and ask my characters questions. Will got one but the others are feeling lonely. Thank you for reading, you're wonderful,**

**~ IrishMythe**


	4. IV

**Chapter Four**

I am jolted awake by someone prodding me in the side. I am not one to allow people into my personal space (unless it is for business purposes of course) so I immediately draw my wand and ram in against the soft bit of skin beneath their jaw bone.

"Steady on Rose," they gasp, their eyes like saucers. "It's just me!"

"Albus. You should know better than to wake me like that," I snarl.

"And you should know better than to fall asleep when we have Quidditch practice," he hisses in reply. Damn. I had forgotten we had practice today. "Come on or we'll be even later than we already are and I don't want the rest of the team thinking they can just rock up late whenever they want. You'll be doing laps for me as punishment," he orders before strutting out of the common room. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I follow him out at a much more leisurely pace.

By the time I get to the changing rooms, Albus is fuming. The new kid, Henderson, looks a little green but everyone else is just ignoring him. Which is only antagonising him further. I walk right past him as he yells abuse at me for walking so slow before taking my Quidditch robes out and changing.

"How come you're late?" Dave whispers to me as I pull off my school robes.

"Forgot we had practice," I shrug as Albus hurls a spare shin guard at us. Dave snorts and Lucy shoots us a look. Well, she shoots me a look before gazing soppily at Dave. This can only go wrong.

"Now that we are _finally_ all here," Albus glare in my direction. "I just want to go over the Gryffindor team rules. I have added a few new ones too but I doubt you'll need them, they're just precautions. Rule number one: anything that has happened, is happening or might happen outside the pitch, stays outside the pitch. Nothing matters in here except for Quidditch. Rule number two: You will turn up to practice _on time_ and with the correct kit. I will not tolerate lateness and if I feel you are not giving your all to the team, I will replace you. Rule three: before ever match, you must eat a full dinner the night before, go to bed early and eat a decent breakfast in the morning. I don't care how sick you feel, I won't have my team falling off their brooms just because they were too nervous to eat. Clear?

"Rule four: if you are struggling with balancing schoolwork and Quidditch, come and see wither me or another member of the team. Hopefully we can get someone to help you otherwise we might have to let you go, so please try to stay one top of it all. Rule five: you will never, under pain of death, reveal any of our tactics or plans to any other member of any other house and I would strongly suggest you do not reveal them to anyone outside of the team because if they tell, I will hold you responsible and you will be off the team.

"Now for the new rules. Rule six: if you decide to quit the team (for whatever absurd reason) you will notify me at least a month before the next game we have to play. A month is a poor time to train up a new member but it will have to suffice. If you notify me in less than a month, I will expect you to play in that game and you can quit after. Understood? And lastly, rule seven: this team is like a family. But a very platonic family. There will be no dating any other member of this team and I would prefer it if you did not date members of the other Quidditch teams either to prevent tensions arising that are not due to the actual game. Savvy?" Albus looks around at the team who are all staring at him blankly. Except for Lucy, who looks shocked and pale, and Keegan who is staring at his toes and fiddling with the bottom of his jersey. Well this just got more interesting.

"Does everyone understand?" Albus yells. Everyone, bar me of course, jumps slightly before nodding, some a little less enthusiastically than others. Lucy looks on the verge of tears but Dave doesn't even glance at her. Instead, he glances at me. Oh Merlin. There is a frown etched into his forehead as he looks at me. I stubbornly stare ahead of me. "Good, now let's get onto the pitch!" Albus roars again. Apparently my lateness has put him in a rather foul mood.

To add to the disaster that is practice, the heavens decide now would be a perfect time to release all the rain that they have been holding up the entire week. We are drenched within seconds but Albus does not even blink an eyelid as he orders us onto our broom and tells us to fly seven laps of the pitch. He himself, stays in the middle, watching us. If no one gets injured by the end of this, I will… Well, I don't know what I would do. I'd be impressed at least.

As I fly close to the stadium seats to try and avoid the heavy rain, I skim over an oddly shaped form sitting in the stands. I race around once again and when I get back to where I had spotted it, I slow down, squinting my eyes against the rain. I think it is a person. What kind of insane idiot willing comes out in this weather to watch a Quidditch _practice_? Unfortunately, the person behind me does not see me slow down through the veil of rain and comes flying straight into me, sending me flying into the stands beside the hooded figure. I lose my broom and come crashing down to the floor, knocking over several benches. The person who flew into me is sent off balance and crashes against the stands a little way down.

Brilliant. I think I have broken my back. Groaning, I try to stand up but a hand is immediately on my shoulder, pushing me back down to the floor.

"Don't move, you might make it worse," a vaguely familiar voice calls through the racket of the rain. I stop protesting and relax back down onto the wooden floorboards. I knew someone would get hurt in this weather. The hand that was one my shoulder moves to push a few benches out of the way. "Where does it hurt?" he asks.

"Uh… everywhere?" I snort. They chuckle slightly and I can feel their name on the tip of my tongue. I think I must have concussion. "My back mainly. I haven't broken any limbs at least," I try to shrug but stop when a shooting pain darts down my back. "And this sodding rain is not helping."

"Sorry, I'm not skilled in Atmospheric Charms," they say and I detect a smirk in their voice. Oh for fucks sake. "Come on Thorn, I don't think anything is broken but I suggest you go to Madame Pomfrey to make sure. I think you can stand up now," the figure stands up themselves before offering me a hand. I take it, not sure I can sand by myself.

As he helps me up, his hood falls back to reveal his platinum hair and he resists another smirk as I lean heavily on his arm. I hate being helpless. I hate being weak.

"Rose?" someone shouts from a few meters away. I can barely make out their figure through the rain. "Rose, I'm so sorry, I didn't see you, why did you slow down? Are you okay? I'm so–"

"–Sorry? You said," Malfoy snorts.

"Malfoy?" Dave stops trying to climb over the bench in surprise. "What are you doing here?" his voice is strained and hostile.

"No doubt he was spying on the enemy," I sigh. "But would you mind having this little catch up later? I need to go and see Pomfrey," I snap.

"Rose, I'm really, really sorry," Dave repeats, resuming his attempts to climb up to where Malfoy and I are standing.

"You can grovel at her feet later McLaggen, now I'm taking her to Pomfrey," Malfoy snarls and I can sense his eye narrowing on Dave.

"What do you mean: _you_ are taking her to Pomfrey? You think I'd trust you with her?" Dave sneers in disgust. I had no idea he hated Malfoy so much.

"And you think you should be trusted with her after what you did?" Malfoy retorts, his voice filled with rage. Apparently the hatred is mutual.

"For fuck's sake!" I snap. "Dave, Albus is already going to be pissed that one member of his team is missing. Malfoy can take me to Pomfrey, it will stop him spying at any rate, and I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. Now can we please get a fucking move on before I pass out!"

"Rose, really, I'll deal with Al later, you're not going with _him_," Dave spits out the last world like Malfoy is something contagious. He probably is but right now I am in too much pain to care and Dave is staring to irritate me.

"McLaggen, do us all a favour and piss off," Malfoy sneers before turning around and sling my right arm over his shoulder while slipping his left around my waist to hold me steady. Dave makes a disgusted noise and mutters something (no doubt unpleasant) under his breath. "Ready Thorn?" Malfoy asks before slowly helping me down the stairs and across the grounds towards the castle. Admittedly, we get a few odd looks from the passing student but otherwise we make it to the hospital wing in peace.

Madame Pomfrey fusses over me the minute Malfoy lowers me onto one of the beds. As she dries my clothes and instructs me to lie down, I notice Malfoy does not leave but stays, partly concealed by shadows, over by the door.

My eyes flutter open as the clock on the wall ticks to seven in the morning. The white sheets immediately inform me I am still in the hospital wing. On the desk by my bed is a goblet of pain numbing potion and several letters. I reach for the potion first. The liquid is thick and tastes faintly like the stuff my mother used to make me drink when I was ill as a child. Some form of muggle medicine.

When I have taken the potion, only then do I reach for the letters. There is one from my parents, one from Nana and one whose handwriting I recognise but am slightly surprised to see. Pushing the ones from my family aside, I take the last one and open it.

_Dear Rose,_ it begins. _I hear you've had a Quidditch accident, don't worry I've already sent Albus a howler for making you practice in the rain. I somehow think I won't be getting a Christmas present from him this year but I am sure his reaction was worth it, even if neither of us were there to witness it. Anyway, back to you. I hope your injuries are not too bad, maman only mentioned it briefly in her last letter, but I am sure Madame Pomfrey is taking good care of you. How are you at the moment, outside of the injuries? I haven't heard from you in a while, I am sure you are busy with NEWTs and Quidditch but I just want to make sure you are okay? I hope to see you during the Christmas holidays, maman is desperate for me to spend Christmas back in England but I am not sure yet. I will definitely be back for a couple of days though and we must meet up as I have some news I would like you to know before the rest of the family. Don't worry, I am not pregnant! Anyway, I look forward to hearing from you and do let me know if anything interesting happens in your life. I promise I shall not breathe a word… I live in France after all; there is no one to question me here. Hope you get well soon, ma chère, much love, Dominique._

Setting the letter down, I resist the urge to sigh. I shall have to write back to her, there are very few people in this world that I actually get along with and, since moving to France three years ago, Dominique has become one of them. I am somewhat pleased that she sent Albus a howler though. Folding her letter, I place it back on the bedside table but before I can reach for the others, the door opens and a crimson robed figure enters.

"Rose," Dave stars, clearly surprised to find me awake. "I just came to see how you're doing," he tries to act casual but the way he keeps wringing his hands betrays some discomfort.

"I'm fine thank you," I mutter coldly.

"Look Rose, I am really sorry about what happened, I didn't see you through the rain and I wasn't expecting you to slow down… And I'm sorry I let that Malfoy creep bring you here, it should have been me, it was my fault and–"

"It really doesn't matter," I cut across him.

"Still, I feel really bad and I am truly so–"

"Sorry? Yes, I get it. Do you know what really annoys me? People who say sorry over and over again. I mean really, once is enough. So please, just stop apologising."

"Sorry," he mutters sheepishly, staring at his feet. "I just…"

"It's fine. I am not dead nor am I seriously or permanently injured so just leave it."

"Right… yeah. Well… I'll just be going then," Dave mumbles. He makes to leave and reaches the doors before turning to look over his shoulder at me. "I don't know if you've heard, but your cousin from France sent Al a howler for making us practice in the rain. Al almost exploded, it was hysterical. Not going to lie though, I keep thinking she's going to send e one too," he gives a half laugh before disappearing out of the hospital wing and leaving me alone once again.

Madame Pomfrey does not let me go for the rest of the day. By the time lessons have finished, I am practically squirming with irritation. I hate being trapped in this room. It is filled with memories I would prefer not to be reminded of. I have come to find that memories are often more painful than the actual event you remember because of everything that you associate with that event that you were unaware of while it was actually happening. As I mull these thoughts over in my mind, the door opens and a figure enters, heading for my bed.

"Good afternoon Thorn," murmurs the husky voice of Scorpius Malfoy.

"Malfoy," I nod, somewhat surprised he is here. "What can I do for you?"

"Well you weren't in Potions so I thought I would deliver you the work as you are my Potions partner. We were just recapping some Sixth Year potions but Zabini said you would be more interested in some more advanced ones. He gave me this book for you," Malfoy reaches into his bag to pull out a worn and ancient looking potions book. As he hands it to, I cannot help but be surprised as his finger brushes lightly against mine before he lets go.

"Thank you," I mutter. To my astonishment, Malfoy proceeds to take the seat beside my bed and rest his feet on the sheets. The book in my hands however, quickly pulls me attention away from Malfoy. It is indeed an extremely old text book. So old I think I might have to translate some of the instructions from their original Old English before I attempt to brew any of the potions.

"He thinks you will particularly like the potion on page seventy-two and that you are more than welcome to use his classroom after lessons have finished if you wish. Although he said it would probably be best if you had someone with you should your potion go wrong," Malfoy added on with a frown. "Although I cannot image you getting any potion wrong," he mutters. Before I can respond however, the door slams open.

"What the fuck are you doing here Malfoy?" the new arrival hisses.

"Ah McLaggen, come to do some more damage have you?" Malfoy sneers, his lip curling in disgust as Dave comes towards us. "Was landing her in the hospital wing not enough? Decided to break her some more have you?" Malfoy continues, standing up to face Dave. I watch in faint amusement before the full meaning of Malfoy's words sink in. Break her. Malfoy thinks I am broken. And he thinks it is Dave's fault. Surely… Surely he cannot know?

Besides, I am not broken. I am merely bruised from the fall.

"Piss off Malfoy, no one asked you to become her protector," Dave sneers, stepping closer to Malfoy. Oh dear Merlin, this might not end well. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh don't I? So if I were to ask you if you knew who Georgina Morrish was, you would have no idea?" Malfoy's voice is dangerously low. I can barely make out what he is saying. Dave's face pales considerably and he whispers something so that I cannot hear. Malfoy just smirks and whispers something back before pulling away and sitting back down by my bedside. "You are not wanted here McLaggen," he waves his hand absently as if in dismissal. Dave narrows his eyes in rage but manages to refrain from lashing out at Malfoy. Instead, he throws a couple of (now slightly crumpled) letters onto my bed before storming out and slamming the door behind him.

Malfoy pulls out a book and begins to read while I pick up the letters and read them. There is a short one from Albus, apologising for making us train in such conditions and informing me when our next practice was. There is one from Lucy, telling me she'll come and see me after dinner with Lily and one from Dave, I read the first 'I'm sorry' and toss it aside.

"Who's it from?" Malfoy asks without even looking up from his book.

"Dave," I sigh.

"Something wrong?" he queries. I can tell he is trying to keep his face passive but his smirk still manages to shine through.

"He won't stop apologising." We fall into silence for a while, during which I become increasingly agitated. "Why are you here?" I ask eventually.

"Because there is a tie on my dorm door handle and I like to eat when most people have left the hall so I do not have to put up with the noise. This place is even quieter than the library," he shrugs, again without even glancing away from his book. I find it slightly disturbing how I already knew he liked to eat when most people had left the Great Hall.

"Right." More silence. "Do you come here often?"

"No."

"Oh."

"Rose?"

"I think I will go and eat now," Malfoy closes his book and puts it away in his bag as Lucy comes over. She eyes Malfoy with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. As he leaves, she takes his vacated spot as the people behind her perch on the end of my bed. It appears as well as Lily, she also brought Will Henderson, the new Chaser.

"What was Malfoy doing here?" Lucy asks with suspicious eyes.

"I have no idea," I shrug.

"Odd," she frowns. "I have the work you missed from Charms and Transfiguration but you'll have to get the rest from your other Professors," she changes the subjects and hands me a couple of sheets with the work written on them.

"So…" Lily starts. "Albus is pissed."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hello again, hope you liked it, there is quite a bit of Scorpius Malfoy in this chapter, even if he is a bit odd. Let me know your thoughts and check out my blog (link on profile page). Thanks for reading my dears,**

**~ IrishMythe**


	5. V

**Chapter Five**

It took two days for Madame Pomfrey to finally realise the only damage my back had really acquired was a little bruising. When she finally let me out of the miserable hospital wing, I made my way directly to the Gryffindor common room and was heading towards my dorm when someone tapped my shoulder lightly. Turning with a frown already in place, I am somewhat surprised to find my little brother standing behind me. Well, maybe I can't exactly call him 'little' anymore.

"Hugo?" I ask hesitantly. Hugo rarely acknowledges me whilst we are in school. In fact, Hugo rarely acknowledges me at all.

"Rose," he nods, his voice low as if he is trying not to attract any more attention to us than we are already receiving. "I need a word," he mutters before walking off towards the portrait hole I had just come through. I have half a mind to just let him walk off on his own but curiosity gets the better of me and I follow him out, if somewhat reluctantly.

"Spill," I demand once Hugo finals stops and turns to face me. We are in a dark and narrow corridor that, had I not been intimately acquainted with the Marauder's Map, I would probably not have known existed.

"What's going on with you and Malfoy?" he asks bluntly. He never was one for tact.

"Nothing," I reply honestly.

"Bullshit."

"Truth."

"Don't lie to me Rose."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"What makes you think that?"

"… I know you Rose."

"Hardly," I snort. Hugo may be my brother but that does not mean he knows me. No one really knows me.

"Come on Rosie," he changes his tone so it almost sounds like he is whining.

"Don't call me Rosie," I snarl.

"Just tell me… It's not like I'm going to tell anyone."

"Nothing is going on between me and Malfoy. Now if that was all you had to say, then I have better things to be doing," I snap. Hugo shifts awkwardly and averts his gaze. "There is something else, isn't there?"

"Um… maybe?"

"Well either there is or there isn't and I am losing my patience Hugo."

"Look, you're going to think I'm mental," he huffs, looking somewhat embarrassed. And believe me, with Hugo, that is exceedingly uncommon.

"Just spit it out."

"You know Hatty James?"

"I know everyone."

"You know her boyfriend?"

"Aiden Brookes."

"Yeah…"

"Where is this going Hugo?"

"I fancy her."

"James?"

"Hatty!"

"Yes, Hatty _James_."

"Right yeah, just when you said James, it made me think of _James_ and well… yeah."

"That's very sweet Hugo but why exactly are you telling me this?"

"Well I know you don't particularly give a shit about your reputation…" Hugo shifts his eyes uncomfortably. I remember when I kissed Malfoy in the Great Hall after catching Dave with that girl… Hugo had given him a black eye for three consecutive weeks. He never was a fan of my reputation as a heinous bitch and boyfriend snatcher. But I never really cared about his opinion.

"And?"

"I was wondering if maybe you could, I don't know… Find a way to break them up?" he mutters so quietly I can barely hear him.

"You want me to kiss Aiden Brookes?" I snort with a raised eyebrow. An embarrassed and uncomfortable Hugo was a rather amusing sight.

"Well… yeah? I mean, it's a possibility…"

"No."

"What?"

"No," I repeat.

"Oh."

"Hugo… I may not be an expert on the workings of the female mind but if you get me to do this, you will hurt James and just end up being some form of rebound figure."

"Oh."

"So unless you are cool with that, I won't do it," I shrug. Normally, I would have accepted the offer but at the end of the day, this was Hugo. He is my brother. I may not particularly like him, or even get on with him, but that does not mean I am willing to allow him to get hurt.

"What if I am cool with being a rebound figure?"

"Then I have greatly underestimated your intelligence."

"Look, I just _fancy _her. It's not like I want to marry her, I just want to shag her. And she won't shag me if she's still with him so I need them to break up." Oh Merlin. Hugo, my own _brother_ wants me to break up a potentially happy couple, breaking the girl's heart so that he can _shag_ her? This world is slowly becoming more ludicrous.

"You'll have to pay me."

"What?"

"Twenty galleons. In advance."

"You're kidding right?"

"No."

"Rosie…" he whines.

"Make that twenty-five and every time you call me 'Rosie', I will add another five."

"You're crazy."

"Twenty-five galleons and you have a deal."

"But what if you can't do it?"

"Trust me Hugo, I will be able to do it."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Fine," he huffs again, looking thoroughly disgruntled. I hold my hand out, palm up. "What?"

"Twenty-five galleons please."

"This is ridiculous," he grumbles, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful of money. If I did not know Hugo, I would be rather surprised to see he carries around so much money in his pocket, especially at school. "Here's fifteen, you can have the rest afterwards." My hand stays where it is. He looks at me in disgust before handing over the other ten.

"Goodnight Hugo," I nod before disappearing back down the corridor, leaving Hugo looking perplexed and a little annoyed.

The girls' dormitory has not changed in the slightest in the seven years I have been here. The walls are still covered in the same faded wallpaper, the four-poster beds are still draped with the same crimson cloth and the carpet has somehow managed to retain its softness no matter the amount of feet that have trodden over it recklessly. The window on the right looks over the lake and the distant mountains while the window on the left looks over the grounds and the Quidditch Stadium. I prefer the window on the right while most of my dorm mates prefer the window on the left. Lucy included.

For this precise reason, I am currently sitting on the window ledge on the right while the rest of the girls in my dorm are pressed up against the cold windowpanes on the left.

"Sheesh that boy has got one fine looking arse," one of the brainless sluts comments.

"Past the omnioculars Beth," another mindless moron whines. "I want a go!"

"Bianca, you had them a second ago, it's my turn," the third soul sucking dumbass wails.

"I think it's my turn anyway, after all, it is _my_ boyfriend on the pitch," comes the unquestionably stupid voice of my cousin.

"What?" chorus the three other girls.

"You have a boyfriend Luc?" one of them asks in awe.

"Shit," Lucy curses. "We were going to keep is a secret, you mustn't tell anyone! He'll be pissed if he knew I told you."

"We won't tell, promise," another of the harpies whines.

"Who is it Luc?" the third one squeals. Oh dear Merlin.

"Shh Martha," Lucy hisses. "People might hear you!"

"You are aware that the dorms have sound proof charms on them to stop people eavesdropping on private conversations, aren't you Lucy?" I ask without looking up from my sketch pad where a half formed drawing of the Black Lake at dusk was waiting to be completed and added to my collection. Lucy looks over at me in surprise, clearly not aware that I am even here.

"Really?" Bianca looks dumbfound, something not entirely uncommon.

"No, I'm lying," I roll my eyes. She looks confused. "Yes, Bianca, _really_."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry Bee," the sanest of the lot rolls her eyes in a similar fashion to me. "She's just being her usual sarcastic self."

"I shall take that as a complement Bethan," I sneer back.

"For the last time, it's _Beth_."

"Whatever."

"Hold on, do they actually have sound proof charms?" Bianca asks, still looking thoroughly confused.

"Yes Bee," Bethan sighs. "They were installed in our Second Year when _some people_," she shoots a glare in my direction, "thought it would be funny to eavesdrop on peoples' conversations and then write the things they said on the common room notice board."

"Oh."

"Anyway," Martha perks up. "Back to the point: who _is_ he Lucy?"

"It's not Tom Harding is it? I mean he has a fine body but he's dumb as shit," Bethan remarks. I cannot help but feel that she shares the same trait with the aforementioned 'shit'.

"No, no," Lucy flaps like fish stranded on dry land.

"So who is it?" Bianca squeals again. "Is it Al Potter? He's pretty hot," she muses. I stare at her in horror. How is it possible to be that _stupid_?

"Ew! Bianca, Al is my _cousin_!" Lucy shouts, chucking a pillow at the worthless human being.

"Really? That's so _cool_!" Bianca looks at Lucy with awe in her huge blue eyes.

"Bee, you knew that already," Bethan sighs.

"I did?"

"Is it Mark?" Martha asks, eyes gleaming. "He's definitely a catch!"

"Mark Campbell is a Ravenclaw," I state. "He would never be dumb enough to try and keep a relationship a secret."

"Do you know who it is then?" Bethan asks with a sneer while Lucy glares at me.

"Yes," I reply, causing the three girls to look somewhat shocked.

"You told _her_ before you told me?" Martha looks genuinely upset and Lucy glares at me again.

"It Dave isn't it," Bethan smirks. It was more of a statement than a question, like she already knew the answer. She looks almost triumphant as she smirks at me. It is almost as if she thinks that her words will hurt me. She is wrong of course.

"Oh Merlin," Martha breathes. "It is, isn't it?" she laughs as Lucy burrows her face into a spare pillow. "Fucking hell Luc! Why didn't you _tell_ me? You've fancied him for years!" Oh. Had she now? Bethan's smirk grows wider. I sometimes think she should have been in Slytherin. Then again, she probably just hates me because her boyfriend paid me to kiss him so he could get rid of her. Except she does not know about the paying part.

"Where are you going Rosie," she sneers as I get up and head to the door. I cannot help my reply.

"Meeting Leo for a quickie," I reply casually before striding out the door, leaving Bethan looking thoroughly pissed off. In case you were wondering… Leo is her ex-boyfriend.

Needless to say, I am not actually going to meet Leo Bell. My destination is far more interesting than one of Al's old friends. Wandering down the corridors, I let my mind drift to the things that I needed to sort out. To begin with, I still needed to deal with Dave as Lucy has taken to pestering me about it whenever we are alone. Then I have to deal with Hugo's somewhat bizarre request and I need to talk to Zabini about using his classroom after lessons are over.

"Thorn?" someone asks in surprise as I turn a corner to come face to face with someone's chest. "What are you doing down here? Come to prey on a Hufflepuff have you?" he sneers, regaining his composure.

"No," is my blunt reply.

"Then what? Take a wrong turn?" his sneer widens and covers his face, distorting his usually placid features.

"No."

"Just piss off," he snaps, clearly angry, although I suspect the anger is not actually intended for me. Which is unusual.

"Uh… no."

"What the fuck do you want then?" Malfoy practically shouts, glowering at me.

"To get past you…" I reply as if it were obvious. Which it kind of is as he is standing in the middle of the corridor.

"Oh," he mutters, taken aback.

"Yeah."

"So you weren't looking for me?" he frowns.

"Why would I be looking for you?"

"I don't know," he shrugs, lowering his gaze from mine.

"Then why did you ask?"

"I don't know," he repeats.

"Are you going to let me past?"

"Right… yeah," Malfoy steps aside to let me through, his expression has changed from surprise to disgust to anger to distant, as if his thoughts are far away. I'm not really sure why I stop, or why I turn back to see his still standing there, staring at the opposite wall, but I do.

"Are you okay?" I ask. He stands frozen for a while before slowly turning his head towards me with a look of complete shock on his face. Apparently I do not ask people how they are feeling enough.

"Are you?" he retorts.

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"Well there must be something wrong if you are willingly trying to engage in a conversation with me," he snorts. I turn back around and continue down the corridor without replying. It does not take long before I hear footsteps behind me and Malfoy appears by my side, frowning. "I'm sorry, I'm just in a foul mood," he sighs. "I should not have snapped at you."

I simply nod and we walk in silence for a little while.

"Where are you _actually_ going then?" he asks at last.

"To the kitchens."

"The kitchens?"

"Yes, the place where they make food."

"I know what a kitchen is!"

Silence.

"How do you know where the kitchens are?" he suddenly asks.

"Really Malfoy, I would have thought you had learnt by now: I know everything," I smirk. "Now turn around and close your eyes," I command. He looks at me warily. "You are not allowed to know how to enter the kitchens," I explain.

"And you are?" he asks doubtfully. I just stare at him until he does as I asked before turning to the painting of the bowl of fruit are scratching at the pear. I mean really, this has to be the most ridiculous entrance in the entire castle. I pull on the handle as soon as it forms and am greeted with a rush of warm air. Malfoy lets out a low whistle behind me.

"Are you coming in or are you just going to stand there until someone catches you out of your dorm after hours?" I snap.

"I… Do you mind?"

"Mind what?"

"If I come in?"

"Why would I mind?"

"You just… Well, you're not really a people person," he shrugs but steps into the warm kitchen anyway. One of the many house elves rushes over to welcome us and guide us one of the four long tables that are placed directly below their corresponding ones in the Great Hall. We sit at the Hufflepuff one.

"So this is where you disappear off to then?" Malfoy breathes, looking around the now subdued kitchen. "People are going to be very disappointed, they think you are part of some soul sucking cult," he comments as if it were a perfectly normal thing to say.

"And why would they have to be disappointed? It's not like anyone is going to tell them, is it?" I narrow my eyes at him threateningly and he has the audacity to chuckle.

"Of course not," he smirks.

"Besides, this is not the only place I disappear to," I shrug, not entirely sure why I am continuing this conversation.

"Where else do you go?"

"The Forbidden Forest, the far side of the Black Lake, the Owlery, the alcove on the Seventh Floor that is hidden by the statue of the a dying woman…" I shrug. Only after the words are out of my mouth do I realise I have just given Malfoy the ability to find me when previously no one else would have been able to. The thought is somehow not as daunting as I would have expected.

"You know that is a statue of Seraphina Slytherin?" Malfoy ponders. "She was Salazar Slytherin's only daughter and, legend has it, she fell in love with a muggle. When her father found out, he forbade her to see him…"

"Did she obey him?" I ask, curious about the woman whose statue I had spent hours gazing at.

"No," Malfoy snorts. "She met him in secret that same night and they made plans to elope. Of course, they were unaware that Seraphina's twin brother, Salvadore, had witness their plans and, when Seraphina had returned to their castle to pack her things, he revealed his presence to the muggle and killed him. Without a word. Just a flick of his wand and a flash of green light…" Malfoy trails off. I realise I have leant towards him, enraptured in his words.

"What happened?" I breathe.

"Seraphina returned to find her lover's body, stone cold but uninjured. She knew it was magic that had done this and, destroyed by grief, she took her lover's hunting knife and plunged it into her own heart so that she fell beside her lover's body.

"Rumour says that Slytherin never recovered from her death… That he blamed himself… It was said that with her death, died his last slithers of humanity. That as he buried his daughter in the clearing where she fell, with her muggle lover at her side, he also buried the last fragments of his past. The last fragments of the man he had once been…" Malfoy's eyes are fixed on the fire in much the same way that mine are fixed on his face.

Stories had always been my weakness. And Malfoy could tell a story beautifully. We sit in distant silence, his mind in places I will never know about and mine lost in the past with Seraphina Slytherin. While romances where never my preferred genre, there was something about such a tragedy that pulled me under and left me wanting more.

"Tell me another story," I whisper into the near silence. The fire crackles before Malfoy replies.

"Another day perhaps," he smiles slightly into the flames and I wonder where his thoughts are, because they are not here. "Thank you," he murmurs.

"For what?"

"For letting me come in here… and for distracting me."

"Oh," is my intelligent response.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hello again, I am so sorry for the wait but I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please come and check out my blog and thank you to everyone who has reviewed! Thanks for reading,**

**~ IrishMythe**


	6. VI

**Chapter Six**

The regular clicking of my heels rings out in the deserted corridors as I follow the tall figure of Aiden Brookes up to the Owlery. Due to my regular visits to the place, I have seen Brookes go up there every Thursday evening since the start of the year. His robes don't quite reach the ground and the pale skin of his ankle is exposed with each step he takes, hinting at either a recent growth spurt or a lack of galleons to pay for a new set. The sapphire trimmings are barely distinguishable from the black cloth in the dim light and his tattered school bag is covered in obscure drawings and doodlings.

He seems unaware of my presence behind him although I have taken no measure to hide myself. His carefree walk and the swinging of his arms give me the impression his thoughts are focused elsewhere than the dreary corridor we are walking through.

As he ascends the steps to the Owlery, I deposit my bag by the tapestry of a ghost hunt in the Middle Ages, take a selection of books out and readjust my crimson and gold tie, tugging it down to expose a little of the skin on my chest. It takes Brookes several minutes to call and owl down and attach his letter before he comes jumping back down the steps, two at a time.

As he reaches the bottom step, I step forward and we collide. I make no attempt to stop the books falling from my arms as I fall gracefully onto my butt. Brookes looks startled, clearly not thinking anyone would be here at this time.

"Sorry," he mutters, reaching out to pick up some of my scattered books. "You're reading _Hidden in the Numbers_?" he comments, handing back an advanced Arithmancy book I had borrowed from the library early.

"Yeah," I reply shyly, ducking my head and looking up at him through my eyelashes.

"Cool, I didn't realise you were into Arithmancy? You seem more of a Divination sort of person," he frowns and I cannot help but snort.

"Divination? What in Godric's name makes you think I would be into divination?" I snort again, the shy innocent façade fading quickly.

"I don't know, you just seem the type – dreamy, vacant, a little odd…" he shrugs.

"_Odd_? How kind of you," I smirk and he blushes slightly.

"I didn't mean it like that, just _unusual_…" I just continue to stare at him with an eyebrow raised. "I'm sorry, please don't be offended, I have a habit of saying the wrong thing," he pleads, clearly concerned he has upset me. I look down and let out the smallest of sighs. "Please don't be upset," he mutters, stepping closer to me.

"I'm not upset," I whisper, refusing to look up at him. He steps even closer and reaches a hand out to tilt my chin up. I still refuse to look at him.

"Please Weasley," he begs, brushing some hair from my faces. "I didn't mean to upset you, to be honest, I think being unusual is a good thing so really, it was meant to be a compliment…" he explains with a half-smile. Deciding now is the perfect time to pounce, I lean closer to him and gently press my lips to his.

His reaction is instantaneous as he springs away from me, knocking into the statue on the other side of the corridor. He stares at me with wide and confused eyes. I stare right back at him.

"What the hell Weasley?" he finally manages to choke out. "I have a girlfriend!"

"Oh," I mutter, faking innocence. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea, I would never have presumed… It's just you… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to, it just sort of happened… I thought you wanted… Never mind," I mumble, lowering my gaze to the floor.

"Hey, don't worry about it," he smiles but remains pressed to the opposite wall. This is decidedly harder than I anticipated it would be. Pretending to choke back a sob, I reach for another of my books which was still lying on the floor. Brookes sighs heavily before stepping towards me. "Here, let me help you," he says, taking several books from me.

"Really, you don't have to," I mutter, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Weasley, don't be like that," he frowns. "It was just a misunderstanding."

"Really, I just-" pretending to burst into tears, I let the few books I am holding fall the ground again and Brookes swiftly pulls me into his arms and starts stoking my hair, whispering soothingly.

We stand there for a while, me letting out the occasional fake sob and him trying to comfort me but being clueless as to what he should do. Eventually, I let my hands entangle themselves in his robes as I slowly lift my head up, trailing my lips across the exposed skin at the base of his next where he had loosened his own tie. I feel him shiver and then freeze.

With my lips hovering on his neck, I let my hands slide up his chest. For a moment, he doesn't react. Then, in the distance, footsteps break the silence and he jerks away from me once more. This time however, he grabs my robes by my shoulder and drags me to the tapestry where my bag is. He pushes it aside to reveal a small alcove.

Pushing me inside, he lets the tapestry fall back into place.

"What the fuck is you problem Weasley?" he hisses. Anger is evident in his face as he glares at me, one hand still gripping my robes and forcing me against the wall, his fist clenches, making the hem of my sleeve dig into my armpit. "I've just told you I have a girlfriend!" he hisses again, clearly trying to be quiet. "I don't know what sick little game you are trying to play but it isn't going to work on me! I love Hatty more than anything and I would never cheat on her! I know you reputation as a little leech but I don't want to be a part of it, is that understood. I was just trying to be a gentleman but you have to throw it back in my face. You are messed up Weasley. Seriously _messed_ up-"

He is cut off as the tapestry is yanked aside to reveal the startled face of a young, brunette girl with hazel eyes that pass over me and fix on Brookes. They immediately fill with confusion then, as she glances back at me and the way Brookes as me pressed up against a wall, tears begin to form. She spins around, barging past a confused Hugo and running down the corridor.

"Hatty!" Brookes shouts, letting go of me and running after the girl. "Hatty! Wait! It's not what it looked like! Hatty please!" The girl, Hatty James, shows no signs of stopping as she continues running down the corridor in the direction of the Hufflepuff common room, Brookes hard on her heels.

"Evening Rose," Hugo nods. "I see you weren't kidding about being able to do it."

"I didn't do it."

"What do you mean?" he frowns.

"He didn't kiss me."

"But…"

"It wasn't what it looked like," I snap, bending down to pick up my bag and stuffing the books back in.

"Either way, it worked," Hugo shrugs and I walk off without another word.

As the days get colder, more and more people are seeking the comfort of another's arms. With the first snow falling early, I find myself confined to the castle with little to do. People seem to be more trusting of each other in the lead up to the Christmas Holidays to I have no jobs to focus on except for Lucy's.

Glancing out of the dreaded left window of the dorm, I spot the crimson figures of Al, Keegan and Dave throwing a Quaffle about. With Dave on the Quidditch pitch, lessons over an hour ago and practice not for another two hours, I decide to go down to the dungeons and attempt one of the potions Zabini recommended I should try.

As I turn down the corridor leading to Zabini's classroom, I almost trip over a figure sitting hunched up against the wall, his head in his hands. Startled, he snaps his head up and I can tell he has been running his hand through his hair repeatedly by the way it is sticking up in different directions.

"Thorn?" he sounds surprised. "What are you doing down here?"

"Going to use Zabini's room," I shrug as Malfoy gets up and brushes the dust from his robes. "May I ask what exactly you were doing on the floor of the corridor?" I frown. Malfoy shakes his head so I continue on my way.

"Wait up," he calls when he realises I have gone. "Zabini said you should have someone with you should anything go wrong… Is your cousin coming down or something?"

"No."

"Then who?"

"You by the looks of it," I mutter more to myself than to him.

"What?"

"Well if you're so worried about it, it'll have to be you because there is no one else down here and I'm not going to look for anyone."

"Oh."

"So either leave me alone or shut up." By the silence that follows, I guess he chose the latter. We head down to the deserted classroom without a word and he takes a seat at our usual desk while I head over to the ingredients cabinet and begin rummaging around, already having memorised the ingredients.

"What are we making?" Malfoy asks.

"_I_ am making a _potion_," I snap back.

"Right…" he rolls his eyes and I glare at him. "So are you ready to have your asses kicked next Saturday?"

"And why would I have to be prepared for that?" I frown, shaking a jar of murky water to see how many beetles are left in it.

"The Quidditch match of course," Malfoy smirks.

"In what world will Slytherin ever beat Gryffindor at Quidditch?" I snort.

"Uh, what about Third Year? We beat you fair and square back then."

"If distracting the referee so your Beater can shove our Chaser off a broom is classified as _fair_, then yes, you did."

"I still stand by the fact that Williams fell off his broom."

"And I still stand by the fact that Bulstrode is a bitter cheat."

"Why is she bitter?"

"Because Williams fancied her sister rather than her."

"How do you remember stuff like that? In fact, how do you even _know_ stuff like that?" Malfoy asks in astonishment.

"I know everything, remember?" I snort, bringing a selection of ingredients over to where Malfoy has set up a cauldron.

"Not everything," he insists.

"Well, anything of relevance," I shrug.

"That depends on your definition of relevance."

"Well, relevance is that I know you are about to set fire to your robes," I indicate to his arm which is resting dangerously close to the fire he had just ignited beneath the cauldron.

"Dammit," he curses, snatching his arm away and batting at the tiny flame that was trying to engulf the material. I smirk at him before starting to measure out the lizard scales. We work in silence for a while, Malfoy stirring while I chop and slice and weigh various ingredients.

"Where are you going?" Malfoy frowns as I open the door of the classroom.

"To the lavatory," I state.

"Oh."

"Don't be so shocked Malfoy, I am human, I do have human needs," I snort as I back out the door.

"Sometimes I wonder," he mutters so quietly I can barely hear him. Deciding to pretend I didn't, I head towards the ground floor toilets as they are the closest ones to the dungeons other than the Slytherin common room.

Usually I would use the toilets on the First Floor. The one where Moaning Myrtle spends the majority of her time. Now you may wonder why I would willingly subject myself to Myrtle's antics and I can assure you I have a very good reason: the dead are by far easier to deal with than the living.

Dealing with people is not something I have ever been particularly good at. Dealing with crying girls is the equivalent of fighting a Hungarian Horntail… In fact, I think even given the option, I would choose the Horntail. So you understand my discomfort when, upon entering the ground floor toilets, I come across a petite girl, hunched in a corner with tears streaming down her blotched face.

"Uh…" I muttered incomprehensibly.

"Oh," the girl gasps, finally noticing my presence. She quickly clambers to her feet, wiping tears from her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in," she mutters, trying in vain to disguise the fact she is still crying.

"I… Do you…?" I just stand there awkwardly, unsure what to do and wishing that I had not been lazy and just used the First Floor bathrooms. The girl just shakes her head and vanishes into a cubicle for some tissue. Seizing my opportunity, I duck into the neighbouring one.

When I come out, the girl is standing before the mirrors, trying to get some colour back into her cheeks. She is smaller than an average student but cannot be younger than Fourth Year, although the look in her funny coloured eyes suggests knowledge beyond those years. I have never seen eyes like hers before, they are almost like molten amber, a sort of sunset yellow colour. She catches me looking at her in the mirror and gives me a half smile.

"You won't…" she beings shyly. "You won't tell anyone about this will you?"

"Of course not," I mumble, looking away awkwardly. She smiles again before leaving. I quickly wash my hands and follow her out but she has already vanished down the corridor. Heading back to the dungeons, I cannot help but wonder what her story is.

"You okay? You've been a bit vacant since you came back from the loo," Malfoy frowns as we pack the equipment away. "Have the lavatories started changing too or something?"

"No, nothing like that," I shrug.

"Then what?"

"Well… There was this girl in there," I begin to explain, unsure why the incident is bothering me so much. "She was crying."

"Don't tell me you've never seen a girl cry before?" Malfoy snorts. "In fact, I _know_ you have, you've caused a fair few of my ex-girlfriends to cry," he smirks.

"In case you were unaware, I don't do emotions," I snap.

"So why didn't you just leave?"

"I don't know! She just… I don't know."

"Did you know her?"

"No."

"Is she in our year?"

"No."

"Is she in your House?"

"No."

"Then why do you care?"

"I don't care."

"Then what's bothering you?"

"I don't _know_!"

"There must have been something," Malfoy sighs, picking up his bag and heading for the door.

"Maybe it was her eyes," I shrug. He stops in his tracks.

"What about her eyes?" he asks quietly.

"They were kind of an amber colour," I shrug, picking up my own bag. "Do you know anyone with amber eyes?"

"Yeah," Malfoy sighs and I notice his fist tightening around the door handle. "Her name is Faye Rivers, she's a Fifth Year Hufflepuff," he explains monotonously before walking out the door and vanishing into the dark dungeon corridors.

"I can't believe it!" Al repeats for what seems the thousandth time. "I mean… I just can't _believe _it! They haven't cancelled a game since my _dad_ was at school!" he exclaims.

"Oh really, I had no idea," I snap. "It's not like you've been telling us the same thing for over haf an hour now."

"But they _cancelled_ a game!"

"We can all read the sign Al," Lily snorts from her seat in front of the fireplace.

"But why would they _do_ that?" Al asks.

"In don't know… Maybe because there is a fucking blizzard outside," I suggest. Al, it seems, does not seem to detect the sarcasm in my tone.

"They've never cancelled Quidditch because of the weather before!"

"Well maybe that because they've never had a Quidditch Match on the day of a blizzard before," I snap again. "Just accept it, they've moved the match to the end of the season. We'll play Slytherin then."

"But the end of the season is _May_!"

"Yes and we'll play them in early June."

"But that's months away!"

"Al just shut up," Lily advises. Al ignores her and continues on his rant. Deciding I cannot take a moment longer of him looping himself, I head for the dorm to find it blissfully empty. However before I can focus on my thoughts, the door opens and a hesitant Lucy enters.

"Hey Ro," she smiles. "Look, I just wanted to say that I understand you're uncomfortably with helping me out with Dave and that I get that. It's fine, you don't have to do it, I should never have asked to begin with. Sorry," she shrugs, looping an arm around the left post of my four-poster bed. She looks genuinely sorry. But she should not be. She asked me to do something and I said I would. So I will. Besides, Dave is more than ready.

"Luc, meet me at eight by the statue of the sphinx on the Fourth Floor," I instruct. She looks at me with hopeful eyes and nods. I guess it is time to get this over with then.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hello again lovely readers. I am so sorry about the wait but I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Hopefully Iwill be able to update more often from now on. Please let me know your thoughts, theories or questions either in a review here or on the blog for this story (link on my Author's Page). You can also ask my characters questions if you wish. Thank you so much for reading, IrishMyth.**


	7. VII

**Chapter Seven**

Pressing my back to the cold stone wall of the dimly lit corridor, I prepare myself for what I am about to do. With Lucy tucked out of sight behind a statue and the map telling me Dave is already on his way, there is no way I can back out now. Not that I want to.

As the little dot representing Dave moves closer to the corridor we are in, I whisper _'mischief managed' _before shoving the map into my bag and taking a deep breath. This is just another job. Just another job.

"Rose?" Dave startles me from my thoughts. "What are you doing here?" he frowns, looking around as if in search of a reason.

"Heading to the Great Hall," I shrug.

"You're standing still?" he continues to frown, indicating to the fact I am leant against the wall.

"Felt queasy," I lie easily as he steps closer to me.

"Do you want me to take you to the hospital wing?"

"No, I'm fine, it's passed."

"Are you sure?" he looks genuinely concerned. I think he still feels guilty about flying into me a while back. "You look a bit pale," he stretches out his hand as if to touch me but leaves it hovering several inches from my face. He frowns before retracting his hand and we fall into silence. I know I have to make my move now.

Pushing off the wall, I bend down to reach for my bag that was lying by my feet. Feigning faintness, I stumble slightly and Dave instinctively reaches out to catch me. As I suspected, he doesn't let go immediately. Instead, he moves his hands from my arms to my waist.

"Dammit Rose," he sighs. He closes his eyes as if struggling with some internal dilemma and I wonder for a moment, if he actually cares for Lucy. I have watched them together ever since she told me but I never saw any sign that he considered her as more than a teammate and a friend. There was never any sign he was secretly dating her.

Perhaps he is a better actor than I gave him credit for, he fooled me after all and that is not easily done.

The feel of his forehead pressing against mine forces me to focus on the task at hand. Something about the gesture seems familiar but I cannot place where, certainly not Dave. I have to refrain from pulling away from him because of the wrongness that accompanies the touch of his forehead on mine. There is something decidedly unsettling about it.

"Rose you have no idea what you've been doing to me these last couple of months," Dave breathes, his voice so quiet I could barely hear him. I can feel myself tensing. All I need to do is get him to kiss me. _He_ has to kiss _me_. That is all. I do not need to listen to his corruptive words.

"Dave," I sigh and let my body sink closer to his.

"Fuck Rose," he slides one hand onto the small of my back while the other comes up to my neck, angling my face so that he can plant the lightest of kisses on my lips. I almost pull away, expecting Lucy is start screaming at him like she had done to a Hufflepuff she had been seeing last year. Silence. "Rose," Dave moans, opening his mouth against mine. His lips are all too familiar. Come on Lucy.

Suddenly, Dave pulls away and grabs me by the shoulders. He lowers his head slightly so that his eyes are in line with mine and I find I cannot look away. The hypnotic blue that was once my world holds my gaze, dragging the air from my lungs. He stares at me for several moments before speaking.

"Rose you have no idea how much I have missed you, missed _us_, over the last three years. I don't know what went wrong Rose, I don't know why you kissed Malfoy and I don't know why you just ended what we had without a word. The last three years have been torment, hearing all the boys' brag each time one of them got to kiss you. And I was never one of them.

"You've been driving me insane ever since I found you in the library that day at the start of Fourth Year. You were so animated when you talked about Quidditch and Potions and I couldn't help but fall for you. We were perfect for each other Rose. Perfect. But then you just dropped me like you never cared at all.

"I don't know what went wrong Rose but you have to talk to me. You have to tell me what is going through your mind. You have to let me in Rose. You have to let us be_ us _again. Because I don't know what I would do without you… Rose Weasley," he pauses for the briefest of seconds. "I have fallen completely in love with you."

The suffocating silence that follows Dave's declaration is shattered by the screech of my cousin who seems to have finally come to her senses as she sends a sting hex straight at Dave's face. Followed by a series of other painful looking hexes that I am positive are not on the school curriculum.

"You fucking bastard!" she screams. "How could you do that to me? Didn't I give you enough? Was I just a good shag?" Each question is punctuated with another hex, most missing their target but still equally terrifying. It seems Lucy has inherited the infamous Weasley temper.

Picking my bag off the floor, I leave Dave to his fate. He is none of my concern.

As I turn the corner, I catch a glimpse of white-blond hair disappearing around the next and a frown finds its way onto my forehead.

The dorm is unnaturally quiet. Bianca Brown is the only one asleep, her blonde curls spilling over the pillow and looking far less irritating than when she is awake. Bethan March and Martha Henderson are whispering behind half drawn curtains on Martha's be, their eyes flickering to Lucy and occasionally to me. I am perched on my seat by the right hand window, looking out over the black expanse of the lake, which is broken by the infrequent reflection of a star.

Lucy herself returned to the dorm just over half an hour after I did and went to bed without a word but the tear tracks down her face were evident for all to see. Henderson tried to talk to her and March offered to get a House Elf to bring up some hot chocolate but she ignored them both and climbed straight into bed and pulled the curtains tight around her. I can tell by her irregular breathing that she is not yet asleep.

I can read the blame in Henderson's eyes each time she glances at me. March, for once, is more subtle, never looking directly at me. They are clearly uncertain what has happened but they suspect I was involved, or at the very least that I know.

Their opinions of me, however, are irrelevant. My mind has more important issues to address, such as the monologue Dave delivered to me only an hour ago. It had never occurred to me that Dave was still unaware that I knew about his other woman. I have always assumed that he was smart enough to make the connection. Evidently not.

Even so, up until recently, he has never showed the slightest bit of interest in me. He never seemed that bothered when I kissed Malfoy in the Entrance Hall, he never seemed bothered when I stopped talking to him. He tried to talk to me of course, he acted like there was nothing wrong for several days. I just continued to ignore his very presence and he eventually understood that we were over.

It never occurred to me that he might have been just as heartbroken as I was. But there was a very good reason for that: he had cheated on me. I had seen it with my own eyes. He could not possibly have felt the same way about me that I felt about him or he would never have done it. He would never have kissed that girl.

So really, his confession tonight must have been a lie. And despite his evident opinion, I owe him nothing. No explanation. No second chance. Nothing.

As the clouds clear in the night sky, the starts shine brighter and their reflections dance across the still surface of the lake in a myriad of flickering lights. Magic may be great, but nature is greater.

For the past few years I have tried to convince myself that I was over Dave McLaggen. I was wrong. He still had a hold over me that I refused to acknowledge. My actions where still effected by his. I may not have been in love with him but there was always something there. Perhaps it was a lack of closure, a definite end to the whirlwind romance that swept me off my feet in my Fourth Year. Perhaps that was why I was so reluctant to accept Lucy's job, because I was afraid that it might reawaken the feelings I had locked away for three years.

Tonight, however, something changed. Tonight I could look him directly in the eye and admit to myself that there is nothing there anymore. That those feelings I was afraid of reawakening had disappeared. That there are no feelings left. Nothing. I do not love him. I do not owe him and I do not need him or his approval. Tonight, I could look him in the eye with the certainty that I was completely over him.

I, Rose Weasley, am over Dave McLaggen.

"Right, so I have given it some thought but I think that the cancellation of the match against Slytherin was actually a stroke of luck. Slytherin is our main threat to the trophy this year and this gives us much more time to prepare for them. We can watch their tactics in their matches against Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff and we can practice our own in live games too.

"This doesn't mean we can slack off until June, quite the opposite. We have to be alert and watchful. In the same way that they are exposing their weaknesses in their matches against the other two House, so will we when we play them. They will be able to analysis us as much as we can analysis them.

"There are several moves that I want to save for the Slytherin game so that they won't be expecting them. We will use them only if absolutely necessary in the other two games," Albus rambles, listing the manoeuvres on the blackboard in his barely legible writing. Suddenly, a piece of white chalk goes flying across the room and misses Dave's head by an inch.

"Dammit McLaggen! Pay attention! Do I have to remind you all of the Rules?" Albus bellows, fury contorting his face. I glance over to Lucy, who is hunched on the other side of the changing rooms, her hair a mess, no make-up on and heavy bags under her eyes. She still has not spoken to anyone and she makes no gesture to indicate she even heard Albus.

"Rights, now that I have you attention," Albus narrows his eyes at Dave. "Our first match will be against Hufflepuff in February and we have absolutely no excuse not to be on top form. Hufflepuff should be especially weak as their star Chaser has just announced her resignation-" Albus continues on but my attention is drawn to the whispered conversation to my left.

"Who was their star Chaser?" Will mutters to Keegan, who leans closer to hear him.

"Really fit blonde, something Rivers, I think," he shrugs. "Nice ass."

"Why'd she drop out?"

"No one knows-" Keenan's second shrug is cut off my a furious Albus.

"Henderson! Finnigan! If either of you utter another word for the duration of this meeting I will expel you from the team! Is that understood?" he screeches. Will and Keegan nod rapidly, their mouths sealed shut and their eyes focused solely on Albus who looks ready to burst a blood vessel.

While no one spoke for the rest of the meeting or the subsequent training, Albus was getting more and more worked up. Lucy had vomited before even mounting her broom and Albus had sent her to the Hospital Wing in frustration; Dave had been hit on the head by the Quaffle no less than eight times, causing Albus to threaten him with a new Keeper; Will was just trying to keep out of everyone's way while Keegan was trying his best to calm Albus down. Lily and I had resorted to batting Bludgers back and forth meters above the others so that Albus' shouts and become faint and unintelligible.

"Rose," Lily ventures after several minutes of silence. I just nod. "You're good at Potions, right?" she asks.

"Yes," I reply honestly.

"Well you know one of Al's rules is that if we are struggling with homework and practice and stuff, we should talk to either him or another member of the teams…?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm failing Potions. I just don't get it. So I was wondering if there's any chance that you might be able to tutor me a bit?" Lily seems hesitant, as if unsure how her request will go down with me.

"Sure," I shrug.

"Really?" she smiles.

"I don't see why not, how about on a Wednesday?" I suggest.

"Wednesday is perfect, thank you so much," she grins before smacking the Bludger back at me. Not long after, Albus calls us back down and informs us that if we do not get our act together by Friday's practice, he will hold another set of try-outs and select another team completely. Keegan rolls his eyes before following his best friend into the changing rooms while the rest of us decide to just go back up to the castle in our Quidditch kit rather than risk setting Albus off again.

Lily rattles on about some jinx she learned in Defence Against the Dark Arts yesterday, I am only half paying attention.

"Rose," someone mutters behind me and I turn to see Dave, looking exceedingly uncomfortable and with several effect of Lucy's curses still evident on his features. "We need to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you Dave."

"Rose, please," he begs. "I meant what I said last night. I don't know what you know about Lucy and I but we are not together, I love you Rose. You and only you."

"Dave…" I sigh, stopping to face him. "Let it go. I am over you Dave, truly over you and you need to move on too. It was three years ago and yeah, it was great, but things have changed. Do you want to know why I kissed Malfoy that day? It was because I saw you with her Dave. I saw you kissing that girl, hell you probably don't even remember her name but I remember. It broke my heart but I am over it now. It is in the past.

"I don't know what you were thinking with Lucy but you owe her an apology. She deserves better than you.

"Now, I am going up to the castle and to be honest, I do not want to walk with you," I finish, turning around and walking towards the castle. Thankfully Dave does not follow me.

I look up from my perch by the fire as the common room door burst open. Martha Henderson storms in, her hair ruffled and a furious expression on her normally laid back features. Her eyes scan the common room rapidly before fixing on their target. Dave has his back to her and does not see her approach. The guy he is talking to, does see her and his startled expression causes Dave to turn around.

Henderson's hand is quicker than I expected and Dave has no chance to stop it as it collides with his face. She hisses something beneath her breath at him before storming up to the dorm, leaving him nursing his flaming cheek. I have to give it to her – it was a decent slap.

I catch Dave look at someone who appeared to have just entered the room. Turning, I spot Lucy hovering by the portrait hole, her expression a mixture of anger, betrayal and guilt. Clearly she feels some form of regret for the bombardment of hexes she launched on him yesterday. Reluctantly, it seems, she breaks eye contact with Dave and follows Henderson up to the dorms. I decide I should probably talk to her.

Unfortunately Henderson and Lucy are not the only ones in the dorm. March and Brown are there as well but by the confusion on their faces, they clearly have not been informed of what is going on. The look Henderson is giving me however, tells me she has been very well informed. It is a mixture of disgust and disappointment.

"What's going on?" March queries, her eyes flickering from Lucy and Henderson to me.

"Why don't you ask her?" Henderson spits in my direction. March turns her expectant eyes on me, waiting for an answer.

"It appears Dave McLaggen was unfaithful to Lucy," I explain.

"_Unfaithful_?" Henderson scoffs. "You want to tell them why? Hmm? Would you like to tell them who he declared his love to last night? Would you like to do it? Because if you don't, I will," she threatens. I just shrug and her eyes flare with anger. "Rose Fucking Weasley, that's who!"

"What?" Brown frowns.

"Is that true?" March asks, turning to focus her brown eyes on me.

"It would appear so," I mutter, glaring at Lucy who is refusing to meet my eye. It was the deal: I would not be responsible for whatever happened. And yet here she is, blaming me. "If you don't mind, I would like a word with my cousin… alone."

"You think I'd-" Henderson is cut off my March.

"I think we had better just let them talk Martha," she suggests, guiding both Henderson and Brown from the room, the former with somewhat difficulty. When the door closes behind them, I turn to face Lucy.

"You know what the deal was Lucy," I get to the chase. "I am not responsible. You paid me to do it. So I think you can see my confusion that I am getting the blame for this?"

"What do you care anyway," she snaps. "It's not like you care what Martha thinks of you. Hell, you don't care what _anyone_ thinks of you!"

"That is beside the point Lucy. It was a deal."

"You know what I wish, Rose," Lucy finally turns to look at me. "I wish I had not interrupted last night. I wish I could have heard what your reaction would have been. I wish I knew what you would have done. You make it impossible to trust you Rose, and I am your _cousins_! I have no idea whether you would have gone with Dave or not… Do you know how that makes me feel? Not knowing whether a girl I consider a friend would go with my boyfriend? It makes me feel crap, Rose. Crap." Lucy sniffs, clearly holding back more tears. "Do you remember when I asked you to help me out with Jimmy the Hufflepuff? Do you remember how long it took you to do that for me? Two days. Two sodding days. Do you know how long it took you to do it this time? Two fucking months.

"Two months, Rose. That is a fucking long time. If you had just said no to being with, it wouldn't have been a problem. But you agreed. It should never have taken you this long Rose. That's two months of my life wasted on a guy who doesn't give a shit about me.

"Two months ago, I just fancied him. A lot can happen in two months and I fucking fell for him!" Lucy sobs. "You should have done it sooner Rose, then none of this would have been so bad! I wouldn't be feeling like I am breaking inside! Dammit Rose! Why did you have to put so much effort into this? Are you just that determined to be irresistible that you are willing to go to such lengths to destroy your friend's first proper relationship? Because that is sick Rose. Sick."

As November fades into December, Ravenclaw make a miraculous win of the first Quidditch match, catching the snitch before the Quaffle had even been caught. This infuriates Albus because it gives us no time to analyse the players and their strengths. Hufflepuff certainly do look deflated at the loss of their Chaser but we have no way of telling whether they are any good despite the loss and the next time we will be able to see them is when we are on the pitch with them.

Team practices have become a rather strenuous activity but Albus made the wise choice to keep discussions and meetings to a minimum as they were the times the tensions became almost unbearable. When we are all on brooms, it becomes easier to ignore and Albus usual has us practice separately, with Lily and I working on our aim, the Chasers practicing manoeuvres and Albus himself working with Dave on some Keeper skills.

Lucy is not talking to me and the news of both Dave and Lucy's secret relationship and the fact that Dave and I 'got it on' (is the common term) spreads like fiendfyre through the school and once again, the insults pick up a notch. Not that I care. I find myself spending more and more time in the Potion's classroom, sometimes alone, sometimes helping Lily out, sometimes with Malfoy working on assignments or just practicing random potions and a couple of times I have ended up with both of them trying to help me out which, needless to say, never ends particularly well for the potion.

Dave occasionally tries to talk to me but my lack of response means his attempts are getting more and more infrequent. He is currently on touchy grounds with Albus as at the end of the day, Lucy is his cousin and Dave hurt her. Lucy herself has not spoken to me since her outburst in the dorm. She is growing steadily closer to Henderson and is planning on spending a week of the Christmas Holidays are the Henderson's place.

Henderson still shoots me a disgusted glare from time to time but March has been rather quiet about the whole thing, while Brown is too dumb to even figure out what is the matter. As a result, the time I spend in the dorm has decrease substantially.

"Thorn?" a voice rings out behind me. It is the day before we break up for the Christmas Holidays and I am avoiding the chaos of the dorm by wandering around the corridors aimlessly. "What are you doing down here?" Malfoy asks, his voice curious rather than offensive.

"Escaping bedlam," I shrug. He comes up close to me, closer than usual.

"Are you sure you weren't looking for me?" he murmurs, his voice sinking to a tone I can usually elicit from him when I have been assigned him as a job. He stops beside me and I turn to face him. He is standing so close that our robes brush together as I turn.

"And why would I be looking for you?" I respond hesitantly. This was not a job. But he did not know the previous times had been jobs. What would he think if I did not go along with it? But I have sworn to myself that I would not kiss a man unless I was being paid to until I finished Hogwarts. But if I refuse to kiss him, he might become offended and the next time a get a job he might not be so cooperating.

He steps closer to me, forcing me back until my hands feel the cold stone wall behind me. I can feel his warm breath on my face, his body heat radiating from him. My blue eyes are locked with his grey ones as he pushes me flush against the wall, gently. It would be suspicious if I did not kiss him this time, he might wonder why. It would be better for business if I did just go along with it.

"Relax," he murmurs, his head tilting closer to mine. "It's not like we've never done this before," he chuckles quietly. My eyes do not leave his as he lowers his lips to mine. It is only when he flicks his tongue out over my bottom lip that my eyes close and I sink into the kiss.

His tongue slowly massages against mine as he moves his hands to my waist. I find my fingers are already entwined in his white-blond hair and I use this hold on him to fasten his face more firmly to mind. He lets out a moan as I pressed myself closer to him. His arms encircle my waist to hold me to him. A hand finds its way into my hair, working its way up to my roots.

His lips are soft as they merge with mine and the way his tongue explores my mouth has tingles shooting down my spine. My breath catches as the hand not entangled in my hair slips beneath the material of my robes to rest on the bare skin just above my hip. I moan into his mouth as he begins to trace patterns on my skin. My heart races as he somehow manages to deepen our kiss.

When I feel like I my collapse with want, he slows the pace of the kiss down. His lips still brush against mine but his tongue only makes an occasional sweep of my teeth or my lip or will lightly nudge mine. I try to pull him back in but he refuses, teasing my with the lightness of his kiss.

At long last, when we are both panting for breath, he pulls away. His lips are swollen and his hair is thoroughly ruffled. He pressed his forehead to mine and locks our gaze once more. For several moments we stand there, my arms around his neck, one of his hands on my waist and the other in my hair, our foreheads touching and our eyes locked.

When at last he pulls away completely, my heart is still racing and my breath is still irregular. He gives a sort of half smile before turning to vanish into the darkness of the corridor. I press myself against the cold wall until my breathing has returned to normal before getting up and heading back to the dorm to pack my things for the Christmas Holiday.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hello again my lovely readers! Wasn't this a quick update? I can assure you they will not all be this quick but I will try to make them fairly speedy. So after a bit of a filler chapter, quite a lot happens in this one so I hope you liked it. Please feel free to leave your thoughts in a little review and my characters are more than happy to answer any questions over on my blog (link on profile page). Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it, Irish Myth.**


	8. VIII

**Chapter Eight**

"But she won't do it!" Hugo whines. "She won't even _talk_ to me! It's like she thinks I'm tainted just because I'm related to _you_!" he huffs and I half expect him to stamp his foot like he did when he was a child. Hugo has a rather short temper. "I tried talking to her on the train and she shut the compartment door on my foot! I've got a bruise and everything! It was mortifying and it's all you fault!"

"How exactly is this _my_ fault, Hugo?" I ask darkly.

"Because you told me that if you broke them up, she would use me as her rebound, which she hasn't," Hugo sulks, kicking at one of the jumpers lying on my floor beside him.

"Hugo, it is not my fault that you are incapable of being the sensitive and caring sort of person a girl needs as a rebound. Clearly Hatty James is still hung up on her ex and therefore you barging in and being your usual pig-headed self, was not what she needed when she was feeling betrayed and hurt."

"But you said-"

"It was theoretical Hugo. It was based on the idea that if you _did_ get with her, it would only be as a rebound figure. At no point did I specify that you would, indeed, _get_ her," I sigh. Hugo narrows his eyes furiously.

"I want my money back," he states at last.

"No."

"You lied to me and made me pay for nothing, I want my money back!"

"No Hugo. I did what you paid me for. I broke Hatty James and Aiden Brookes up."

"But you said yourself that he didn't kiss you!"

"That's irrelevant. I broke them up."

"Just give me my money back Rose! I'll tell mum!" he practically screeches, holding out a hand as if expecting me to hand over the money instantly. I raise an eyebrow at his threat. It was like we were children again. When I refuse his face goes red with anger. "Just give it here Rose! What kind of twisted person makes their brother pay them to split up another couple anyway?" he seethes. "There's something seriously wrong with you."

"Get out," I sigh monotonously, waving a hand vaguely in the direction of the door. It is only then, as Hugo storms from the room and barges past somebody, that I realise our conversation was not as private as I had originally thought. My eyes narrow instinctively as anger floods through me and I reach for my wand to slam the door shut in James Potter's face.

How dare he? How dare he listen in on a private conversation? Anger bubbles up in my chest and I grab my shoes and the jumper Hugo had been kicking around from my bedroom floor and yank them on before wrenching open the door and storming down the stairs and, summoning my coat, out the front door.

The village is covered in a blanket of silencing snow as I trek towards the forest on the outskirts. Our cottage is right in the centre of the predominantly muggle occupied village but the road that cuts straight through the heart of the village provides and easy exit and it takes less than five minutes before I have escaped the inhabited world and disappeared into the snow clad tress.

The fringes of the Forest of Dean are young and the trees scattered sparsely, making it easy to walk through in comparison to the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. It takes almost an hour before my temper is once again in check. It is very rare that I experience such strong emotions but being at home, especially for Christmas, seems to bring out the worst in me.

Throughout the years, this forest has become my refuge; I must have spent countless hours walking aimlessly between its trees. At the peripheries, seeing other humans was not uncommon but this far into the uncharted trees, I rarely saw anyone else. The figure wandering barely meters from me was all too familiar. I recognised his profile at once and my stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought of being spotted.

Pausing in my stride, I slipped behind a large oak and peered out at the figure clothed entirely in black. It was an unusual colour for him and caused a frown to form on my forehead. As I stared intently at the figure, trying to decipher what it was that was different about him, my foot shifted and snapped a twig. The sound caused the figure's eyes to zoom in on where I was standing and as his eyes locked with mind, I realised that it was not, in fact, the person I thought it was.

As relief flooded through me, I repress a snort at the mistake I have made. The resemblance was uncanny but I suppose that was to be expected. Stepping out from behind the tree, I nod to the figure who nods in return, narrowing his eyes at me. His mind races as he tried to place me and several seconds later, recognition dawns on his features.

"Miss Weasley?" he asks, his voice a deep rumble.

"Mr Malfoy," I nod in return as he makes his way towards me, stepping cautiously over a fallen trunk. His black robes billow out behind him and his blonde hair, while not as light as his brother's, seems to glimmer in the white light created by the snow.

"Good afternoon," he mutters when he is close enough to be heard without raising his voice. I return the greeting as he spots before me. "Pleasant day for a walk, is it not? Are you alone?"

"Yes, I felt the need to get some fresh air," I reply politely.

"Indeed, walking is the perfect way to air one's head," he nods and I marvel at the correctness of his speech. The Malfoys are undoubtedly one of the most aristocratic families in the wizarding world and therefore, I suppose such correctness should not have come as such a surprise, his brother Scorpius after all, often spoke fairly properly. "Please, allow me to walk with you a little way Miss Weasley, one can never be too careful of what lurks amongst these trees."

"Of course," I smile slightly, taken aback by the fact that a Malfoy could be such a gentleman. "But please, call me Rose," I ask, uncomfortable with being a 'Miss Weasley'. It was so rare anyone called me a Weasley. He seemed somewhat shocked but swiftly recovered.

"If you insist, Rose, but if that be the case, you must call me Pollux," he requests.

"So Pollux," I begin as we start to walk back towards the peripheries of the forest. "Have you also come for fresh air, or do you have an ulterior motive?"

"Ah…" he gives a half smile. "I'm afraid you have me there Miss- Rose," he corrects himself. "I was feeling a little… crowded back at home," he explains. "I find it easier to escape for a little while and let things settle down before returning."

"Do you live near here then?" I frown, trying to recall where the Malfoy's lived.

"Yes, several miles from your village I believe."

"So close?" I ask, startled. "I thought the Malfoy home was further South?"

"My grandparents live in the family home in Wiltshire," he explains. "We are travelling down there toward to celebrate Christmas." He holds out a gloved hand to help me over a large branch. "What are your plans this year?"

"We will be spending Christmas Eve with my father's family at the Burrow, my grandparents' house, but Christmas day we will be going to visit my mother's family."

"Your mother's parents are muggles are they not?"

"Yes," I reply, half expecting him to wrinkle his nose in disgust. His reaction however, is nothing of the sort.

"Fascinating," he breathes. "Have you ever read any muggle literature, Rose," he asks, still hesitant on my name. "It gives a truly remarkable insight into how muggles live without magic."

The conversation continued on and I found myself somewhat amused at how easy it was to talk to Pollux Malfoy. For the six years we had been at school together, I had barely said a word to him. The occasional nod in the corridor, perhaps, but never a conversation.

"What are you doing now that you have finished Hogwarts?" I ask, genuinely interested, something that is not all too common for me. My question causes a slight blush to creep upon his pale cheeks.

"I- I'm a writer. Or at least, I want to be," he swiftly corrects, looking down at his shoes.

"Oh," is my articulate response. I never had a Malfoy down as a writer, least of all the one here beside me. "What sort of writer?"

"I'm not sure yet, a novelist perhaps… Or a poet," he confesses quietly, suddenly shy.

"What would you write about?"

"The world in general, I suppose," he replies, more confidently now that he knows I am not going to laugh in his face. "The complexities of human relationships, how small occurrences can have such large repercussions," he shrugs.

"That sounds fascinating; you must let me read some of your work one day," I plead and he reluctantly nods.

"What about you, what do you plan on doing when you leave Hogwarts?"

"Become a potion brewer," I respond as the edge of the forest looms into view. "I hope to be able to invent my own potions one day," I explain.

"You are potions partners with my brother, I believe?"

"Yes," I reply, somewhat startled that he knows such a trivial piece of information about me and curious as to why he knows and who told him.

"Can I ask you a personal question," he queries after a pause.

"You may but I may chose not to answer it," I smile slightly.

"What is your biggest regret?"

"My biggest regret?" I frown. "I couldn't possibly say. I have very few regrets; I find there is no point in regretting things that cannot be changed. They accumulate and create a burden that you must always carry with you. Therefore I try to regret nothing."

"That is a very wise theory," he comments.

"May I ask you a personal question?" I challenge.

"Of course," he smiles. "But I may choose not to answer."

"What made your home so… crowded that you had to leave?" Pollux frowns down at his toes, clearly uncomfortable. "You do not have to reply if you do not wish to, I am just curious."

"It's fine," he shrugs. "They were just arguing."

"Who?"

"All of them," he snorts.

"About what?" He looks up at me then and a sort of sad smile appears on his face as if there is something satirical about my question.

"That is three questions now, Rose," he smirks an all too familiar smirk. "But if you must know… they were arguing about you this time."

"Me?" I say in shock. Pollux nods and continues walking. I follow him wordlessly. As we reach the edge of the forest, he turns back to me.

"I believe we must part ways here, Rose," he smiles sadly, my name still novel coming from his mouth. "Please, permit me to write to you?" he asks gently. Once again taken aback, I nod and give him my address. "It has been a pleasure to make your better acquaintance," he smiles before lifting my hand to his lips and pressing the faintest of kisses on my frozen knuckles. "Until we meet again," he murmurs before turning around and heading off into the trees.

"Send me some of your work!" I call after him and I receive a slight chuckle in reply.

The days running up to Christmas pass in a blur as I manage to avoid the hectic tide of well-wishers that come knocking on our door at this time of year. Preferring to remain in my room while the others participate in all sorts of festive actives gives me the time I need to perfect the potion I had been working on at Hogwarts and now I had a neat selection of phials and bottles filled with the molten silver liquid. There was something uncanny about the colour and after a few days, I found myself removing them from my shelves and packing a couple in my trunk whilst putting the others way in the cupboard.

My encounter with Pollux Malfoy replays in my mind. It seems almost surreal now. Despite his proper speech and old-fashioned manners, he seemed almost normal. I remember him at Hogwarts, the cold and silent Slytherin who spoke to no one outside of his small circle of friends. He was fascinating, to say the least. It was not until the Christmas Eve, however, that I received a letter from him.

_Dear Miss Rose Weasley,_

_I must apologies for taking so long to write, I hope that you will forgive me. I have enclosed some of my work at your request, please be honest in your opinions. There is one especially that I would like your opinion on; it is the one without a title. If you have any ideas of what to name it, please let me know._

_It is odd, we have spent so many years living in the same castle but it is only now, when I have left, that we meet properly. I hope you will not find it impertinent of me to say that I feel we have a lot in common. You are one of the few people that I have met and been able to converse so easily with. I hope that we may become friends rather than remain as acquaintances._

_I am sorry this letter cannot be longer but we are leaving for my grandparents' house shortly and my mother is becoming impatient. I wish you the very best for Christmas and hope to hear from you soon,_

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Pollux Arcturus Malfoy._

I place the letter on my bedside table, making a mental note to respond to it later. My curiosity about the work he has sent me has to be pushed aside as my mother yells up the stairs, demanding that I get ready. This evening we are going to the Burrow with my entire extended family from my father's side.

When the evening finally rolls around, I find myself crammed into the living room of my grandparents' house with far more people than I am comfortable being with. My mum and several of my aunts have vanished into the kitchen and my dad and uncles appear to be starting on the firewhiskey. Along with all my cousins there are a number of familiar faces that I am more accustomed to seeing in the corridors at Hogwarts or, in Will Henderson's case, on the Quidditch pitch.

He catches my eye and nods in greeting. I return the nod before disappearing outside into the snow. The flutter of white momentarily blinds me and I am forced to blink the flakes from my lashes in order to see anything. I had not realised it had started to snow again. To my surprise, the door opens behind me and Will Henderson steps out, shrugging his coat on.

"Evening," he nods as he comes to join me on the snow covered bench. "Enjoying the holiday?"

"Not particularly," I reply truthfully. We sit in silence for a while, both watching the snow whirl about our heads. I am so lost in my thoughts that I jumps slightly when he speaks.

"Lucy has been staying with us," he murmurs. Frowning, I remember that Will is Martha Henderson's younger brother. I nod. "She is still mad at you." I nod again. "Did you really do it? Kiss Dave?" I nod once more and he lets out a low whistle. "There's more to it than that, isn't there?"

"You could be a Ravenclaw," I reply starkly. He just watches my face, waiting for me to go on. When I don't, he speaks again.

"You don't always have to be so removed you know…" he sighs, finally turning his gaze away from my face. "People care about, no matter what you think." I cannot help but wonder when Will became such an expert on me. "You don't always have to shut everyone out."

"It's easier that way," I whisper, suddenly unsure of myself.

"In the short term perhaps but it will only make it harder in the long run," he shrugs, brushing snow off his sleeves for something to do. "Lucy will come around eventually. She just needs time to get over the hurt it caused. Will you forgive her for blaming you?" I do not reply, unsure of my answer. "I think you will."

I smile faintly at Will and he rests a hand on my shoulder. "You seem to know a lot about me Mr Henderson," I tease and he blushes slightly. "So tell me, how are you enjoying being on the Quidditch team?" I ask, changing the subject, for some reason eager to keep talking to him.

"I love it. Even is Al does scare the shit out of me sometimes," he chuckles, relaxing. "I just hope that we don't have a match – if you can even call it that – like the Hufflepuff v. Ravenclaw one."

"Their Seeker got lucky," I state, recalling the quickest Quidditch game I had ever experienced. The whistle had been blown and less than a minute later, the Ravenclaw Seeker had caught the Snitch. Albus was furious as it meant we could not analysis their players. "Nervous about your first game?"

"Only a little, we have until February so I'm sure I'll be much more nervous then," he laughs.

Staring down at my empty plate I wish I could be anywhere but here. The chatter of my family and their friends echoes unnervingly through my head. On my right is my cousin Louis who, as the only member of our family to be sorted into Slytherin, makes a point of rarely talking to any of us. Usually, I would not have had a problem with this, however today I would much rather make conversation with him than with the person on my left. Audrey Weasley is Uncle Percy's wife. She is the sort of woman for whom nothing ever goes wrong; she believes the best of everybody and it was she who rescued Percy from his downward spiral after the war. Her sympathetic glances between her daughter and myself, however, I could do without.

It was clear to everyone who did not already know, that Lucy and I were not speaking. I was mentally preparing myself for her attempts to make things right between her daughter and me again when someone managed to squeeze in between us. Glancing up, I was greeted by the somewhat flushed face of my cousin Dominique.

"You looked rather uncomfortable," she whispered in my ear, the fainted traces of a French accent in her soothing voice. Audrey, too, seemed relieved to have someone between us as she turns to talk to Dominique's mother, Fleur, on her left. "So how are you ma chère?" Dominique smiles as she helps herself to a glass of muggle wine.

"Fine," I shrug. "How is France?"

"Beautiful," she winks, offering me the wine bottle which I take gratefully. "You must come and visit me when Hogwarts is over. It is such a joy to be so free, where hardly anyone knows who you are."

"I definitely shall," I promise, the world she was describing all too tempting.

"So tell me Rose, what has been happening here in miserable England?" she whispers, as if divulging in secrets. "I hear that you and the charming Lucy are not on speaking terms?" she smirks. It was common knowledge that Lucy was Dominique's least favourite cousin.

"She caught her boyfriend declaring his love to me," I murmur in response, not looking her in the eye.

"_Rose_!" she squeals. "Explain yourself."

"There is nothing to explain. He found me alone in a corridor, kissed me and told me he loved me," I shrug, omitting the finer details.

"Who was he?" she breathes, her eyes alight with interest and a desire to know more.

"McLaggen," I state and it takes her a moment to place the name.

"_Dave_ McLaggen?" she hisses in astonishment. I nod. "He told you that he loves you?" I nod again. "But he cheated on you, didn't he?" her eyes were wide with shock. Dominique was one of the few that new exactly what had happened on the day I found Dave in that girl's arms. "What a _shit_!" she exclaims, a little louder than I think she intended as her mother sends her a disapproving glare from the other side of Audrey while my mother, who is sitting across the table from us, glances over in surprise.

"Lucy overheard and, after hexing him into the hospital wing, decided it was my fault," I continue.

"She always was a little bitch," Dominique murmurs, casting an icy glare at Lucy, who was seated between the Henderson siblings. "Well serves her right for dating your ex," she snorts. "Who's the boy though," she nods at Will, "he seems kind of cute."

"He's a Sixth Year," I roll my eyes. "His name is Will Henderson, he's is Lucy's friend Martha's brother." Dominique sighs.

"So I'm guessing the news you wanted to tell me isn't that you're engaged?" I smirk.

"Oh no! Nothing of the sort," she laughs. "You must promise not to tell anyone though," she pleads, her look suddenly serious. I nod. "Well," she whispers. "You know I was writing that book last summer?" I nod again. "A friend of mine found it and forced me to show a publisher – a muggle one – in France and they want to publish my book," she grins happily. I repress the childish urge to squeal, instead flashing a true smile at her.

"That's incredible Dominique," I whisper. "You must let me read it when it's out. Send me a copy," I instruct and she nods happily. "I have a feeling I'm going to be overrun with work to read soon."

"Has Lux sent you any of his?" a deep voice murmurs to my right, causing me to swivel in my chair so fast I almost slide off. Louis is inspecting his goblet so intently you might have thought it was engraved with ancient runes. The disinterested look that graces his face would never have suggested that he had been listening in on a private conversation.

"_Louis_!" Dominique hisses at her younger brother. "If you breathe a word to anyone, I swear I will tell maman _your_ little secret," she threatens. Louis shoots her a dark look before returning his gaze to the goblet.

"What do you mean?" I frown, regaining my composure. Louis turns his steely blue eyes on me and studies me for a moment.

"I _meant_… Has Lux sent you any of his work?" he repeats, more slowly than at first. I just stare at him in confusion. "He told me he had," he shrugs.

"Who's Lux?" Dominique interrupts, voicing my thoughts. Louis rolls his eyes.

"Pollux," he elaborates making my eyes widen in surprise.

"Who's he?" Dominique queries.

"Pollux Malfoy," I respond automatically, making Louis smirk. "I met him the other day and he sent me some of his work to read… But how do you know that?" I frown at Louis.

"I said: he told me."

"Oh." My mind goes into overdrive, trying to figure out why on earth Pollux Malfoy would tell my cousin something like that. "_Oh_!" I repeat, recalling that the two of them had been in the same year and same House at Hogwarts and would therefore have shared a dorm for seven years.

"It is times like this when I remember why you are not a Slytherin," Louis smirks, earning him a glare from both his sister and me.

Turning the corner to head back downstairs, I bump into someone solid. My eyes dart up and my stomach twists uncomfortably, just like it did back in the woods the day when I met Pollux Malfoy. The same profile greeted me this time as the man glanced down, an apology already forming on his lips. The sound of laughter came from behind him and I made out two heads of hair: one black and one red.

I had managed the entire evening without so much as glancing at them. Not a word had been uttered between us. No nods of awkward greeting, no hurried aversion of our eyes. So why, Merlin, did I have to bump into them now? Just was I was preparing to leave.

"Rose," the one right in front of me mutters uneasily and the laughter immediately dies down behind him. The already narrow corridor seems to shrink as dread swoops through my stomach. I nod in reply.

"Castor?" murmurs the redhead. Castor Malfoy jerks his eyes from my inflamed face and glances back at the pair behind him. "You're blocking the corridor," she mutters quietly, shooting a sympathetic look in my direction which I promptly ignore. Castor steps aside as Molly and James press against the wall to let me go by.

**Author's Note:**

**So here it is, Chapter Eight. I hope you enjoyed it, I know it a major filler chapter but it needed to be done in order for the story to move forward. A whole host of new characters for you: Dominique, Louis, Molly, James... and while there was no Scorpius, we meet two other Malfoys, Pollux and Castor. I would love to hear what you think about them, obviously we barely met James, Molly and Castor but they will appear in the next chaper. For now though, let me know your thoughts and for any questions that you might like to ask my characters, please visit my blog (link on Author's Page). Thank you so much for reading,**

**~ IrishMythe**


	9. IX

**Chapter Nine**

I could not help myself and within moments, the Disillusionment Charm had taken effect. Controlling my breathing so as not to be heard, I followed the three of them upstairs again to the room my grandparents had converted into a lounge of sorts. Molly was the last in and shut the door behind her after glancing into the corridor to check they had not been followed. Pressing myself against the door, I could just hear their voices and I could not help but feel a Silencing Charm would have been a good idea on their part.

Allow me to explain myself. You see, I am perhaps more acquainted with the Malfoy family than I previously let on. The reason I had almost panicked that day in the forest when I met Pollux Malfoy was because I thought he was someone else: Castor Malfoy, his identical twin. Castor and Pollux Malfoy were a year ahead of me at Hogwarts and, to the surprise of the entire wizarding world, Castor was sorted into Gryffindor while his twins remained in Slytherin like the rest of the Malfoy family. In the same year, although perhaps not as surprising to those who knew him, my cousin Louis had been sorted into Slytherin along with Pollux Malfoy.

In Castor's first year, nothing had been easy. People had distanced themselves from him; the Slytherins because he was a Gryffindor and the Gryffindors because he was a Malfoy. He found friendship in a slightly peculiar Hufflepuff girl with fiery red hair and an abstract personality: Molly Lyra Weasley. It was not until they were in Second Year that Castor and James became friends but ever since then they have been almost inseparable. It used to always be the four of them: Molly Weasley, Castor Malfoy, James Potter… and me.

"James, you really just need to talk to her. This is getting out of hand," Molly's voice yanks me from my thoughts. She sounds sad, something not all that common for her. There is a mumble of voices in response but I can't quite make them out. "I know you know something that we don't but it's been two and a half years, surely it's blown over by now?" she protests.

"It's not," is James' sullen reply. He is clearly uncomfortable with being grilled by Molly and I cannot blame him. Molly is as unlike her father as it is possible to be: she is the emblem of a Hufflepuff, caring, trustworthy and unswervingly loyal. However, when she sets her mind on something, it is near impossible to distract her from her goal.

"So tell us," she challenges. James snorts but does not reply and I let out a breath I had not realised I had been holding in. "James… I think you're forgetting that she was our friend too. She was more of a sister to me than Lucy ever was," Molly sighs and I can sense she is trying to hold back tears as a stab of guilt pierces my stomach. It was common knowledge that if there was one person Molly couldn't stand, it was her sister Lucy. "Because of whatever stupid argument you had at the end of Fifth Year, these family gatherings have become _hell_! I have to see her looking completely shut off and I don't even know _why_!" she almost shouts and I can just imagine the way James' must be flinching.

"James," Castor sighs, interrupting Molly and saving James from her wrath. "Molly has a point. We just stopped being friends with her without any real reason. I know you don't want to talk about it but this is the third Christmas that we've had to sit there, feeling guilty and with no explanation. I miss her, James," Castor mutters.

"You guys never had to stop being friends with her," James spits out, becoming defensive. "I never asked you to do that."

"Don't be an idiot James," Castor snaps. "She couldn't be in the same room as you for a good six months. Quidditch was hell. We almost lost the Cup that year because of you two. We tried to talk to her but she was just as stubborn as you… She wouldn't tell us what the argument was about and eventually she started going out of her way to avoid us."

"Dammit James, I stopped talking to you for a month to see if that would allow me to get through to her," Molly growls. "But she had completely shut herself off. She wouldn't even look me in the eye. It was hopeless," Molly's voice breaks at the end of her sentences and I hear the sound of feet as someone (most likely Castor) goes over to comfort her.

"I don't see why you're springing this on me now," James retorts.

"Didn't you _see_ her face?" Molly sobs. "She looked like she wanted to melt into the floor rather than speak to us!"

"James, I think Molly is just trying to make you see things from our point of view," Castor tries to mediate between the two Weasley tempers which I could tell were about to flare… even if one was technically a Potter.

"Why is this suddenly all _my_ fault?" James shouts. "It was her fault as much, if not more so, than it is mine!"

"We don't _know_ that James," Castor snaps again. "You won't tell us why you fell out in the first place so we can't have any possible idea of whose _fault _it is. All we know is that you are the only one of us that can fix it. Molly and I have both tried but she won't talk to us. _You_ are her best friend – or you _were_ at least – and it was _you_ that she fell out with so it is down to _you_ to fix it!" Castor's patience seems to be running out.

"I'll fix it when she stops doing what she's doing," James murmurs ever so quietly that I can barely hear him. Seconds later, I hear footsteps and the door is yanked open. I thank Merlin for my Quidditch reflexes that allow me to step aside just in time as James storms out of the room, leaving a miserable looking Molly wrapped in Castor's protective arms.

It used to be the four of us. James, Molly, Castor and Rose. We used to terrorise the school, it was us who eavesdropped on people's conversations in the Gryffindor Tower and wrote down anything of interest (although nothing too personal) on the Gryffindor notice board as Bethan March said. We used to pull at least a prank a week, largely on Slytherin students but also a couple of stuffy Ravenclaws or even a few obnoxious Gryffindors that we weren't particularly fond off. Molly always made us stay away from the Hufflepuffs though.

I had been best friends with James since we were children. I know that Albus was under a month younger than me but despite the closeness of our age, it was always James who I would seek out as a child and he was unwaveringly protective over me. We were practically inseparable and the year that he was at Hogwarts and I wasn't was one of the worse in my life. He wrote to me every week but it wasn't the same as having him a floo connection away from me.

When I finally went to Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor, James actually ran up to the rickety old stool and picked me up, carrying me to the Gryffindor table to the amusement of the rest of the Hall. It was me who forced him to be nice to Castor only two weeks into the term. It was me who helped him pass his Potions exams at the end of every year. It was me that knew him better than he knew himself.

And then Dave happened. And the repercussions of my relationship with him.

Neither James nor Castor had ever been a particular fan of Dave so when I started dating him, James advised me against it. That was the first time I ever went against James' advice. In the forest, when Pollux asked me what my biggest regret was, the truthful answer would have been that: ignoring James. If I had just listened to him then, my life would have been so very different. But I hadn't listened to him. I had gone with Dave and I had let him take over my life.

Even so, it was James, Molly and Castor who I went to when I found Dave with that girl. James held me as I cried while Molly and Castor raided the kitchen for comfort food. James did not blame me for dating Dave. He never said 'I told you so'. He just let me cry.

Then, that January, he found out I had kissed Sam Perks, one of his roommates. He wasn't impressed seeing as he knew that I knew Perk's had a girlfriend but he did not push it when I said I didn't want to talk about it. From then on though, I became more reserved, keeping things to myself. James became more suspicious after that too.

It was not until the end of the year though, after he had finished his OWLs, that our friendship actually ended. He caught me kissing Stephen Bulstrode, who was a Slytherin in the year above him. Bulstrode's girlfriend had a completely hissy fit and broke down into tears. James just watched and it wasn't until Bulstrode had run off after his girlfriend that I realised he was even there.

The following conversation still haunts me. Of course, James and I had bickered before but this was a hundred times worse. He asked me what I was doing and when I would not tell him, he started to piece it together on his own, anger seeping into his every word. I just stood there as he figured out my secret. I stood there and watched our friendship crumble.

He told me to stop. He told me to stop before I did irreparable damage. He told me to stop before things got out of hand. He genuinely thought I would listen to him. When I told him to mind his own business he looked as if I had proclaimed myself a Death Eater. He shook his head repeatedly, unable to believe that I would 'bring myself so low'. He told me to sort myself out and not bother talking to him until the 'real Rose' was back.

We have not spoken since. Like Castor said, we could not even be in the same room for the next six months; I took to eating in the kitchens after meals were over and it was then that I started to return to the common room when everyone else had already gone to bed. The castle corridors at night became my new friends.

That summer was the worse of my life. Our parents repeatedly tried to make us talk through our 'issues'. By the time summer was over, I had been grounded six times and had never been more eager to return to Hogwarts. The two years that followed, while James was still at school, were tedious. It became second nature to avoid not only him but Molly and Castor as well.

Sometimes I would find myself in the Owlery in the early hours of the morning wondering how my life had transformed so utterly. I would imagine what it would be like if I was still friends with James, Molly and Castor. Sometimes I would see something or overhear something and my first reaction would be to tell one of them. But I couldn't. Something inside me wouldn't let me. Something was stopping me from mending the wounds I had so mercilessly caused.

To this day, I am still not sure what that something is. All I know is that it hasn't gone away. And until it does, I can still not look any of them in the eye.

"Rosa, Rosa," Dominique sighs, taking a seat beside me, making sure to brush the snow off the bench and dry it with her wand first. Tomorrow I return to Hogwarts and Dominique goes back to France. "You've been looking miserable since Christmas. I thought this was supposed to be a cheerful holiday?" she chides, taking out a cigarette and rummaging through the pockets of her dove grey robes in search of a lighter.

"Would you believe me if I said I was just tired?" I queries, causing her to snort.

"Rose, I am a _writer_, studying people is what I do. I know when something is bothering a stranger, let alone when something is bothering my favourite cousin," she laughs. "It's not Lucy is it? That cow needs to stop being such a prude."

"No, it's not Lucy," I cannot help but smile at Dominique's graceful obnoxiousness. It must be something she picked up in France. "Speaking of writing though, would you mind reading through these?" I hand her a selection of Pollux's poems which she takes in her perfectly manicured hands. I had written to Pollux three days ago, completely blown away by the beauty of his writing and begged him to allow me to show them to Dominique. He had reluctantly agreed on the condition that Dominique be the only one.

"These are from your friend, am I right?" she murmurs around her cigarette as she glances over the first poem.

"Yes, Pollux, he is actually more of an acquaintance. He is a friend of Louis' though."

"Handsome?" she pries.

"Yes," I reply honestly. There was no denying that the Malfoy boys were an attractive lot.

"Then I should very much like to meet him," Dominique grins slyly. "He has a talent," she indicated to the papers in her hand. "It should not go to waste."

"When will you next be in England?"

"February. It is when my book shall be released in Britain. The man from Flourish and Blotts wants me to do a signing," she explains. "Perhaps I could meet you and Mr Malfoy in Hogsmeade? Do you have any Hogsmeade weekends near the end of the month?"

"Probably, I'll write to you and let you know if he would be interested in meeting you," I suggest and she nods in satisfaction, her eyes returning to the papers in her hand.

"I shall be keeping these if you don't mind," she murmurs, her eyes not leaving the elegant swirls of Pollux's handwriting for even a moment.

Thanks so my charming brother and his perfect hair, we have arrived late at the Platform and have to force our way through the crowd of parents waving frantic goodbyes to their children. I only just manage to jump on the train in time as the doors begin to slam shut behind me. Stowing my trunk, I head up the narrow corridor, searching in vain for an empty compartment. At last I find one with a single occupant and take a seat across from her by the window. It is only as I pull out one of the advanced Potions books Zabini gave me, that I realised who the girl is. And that she is crying.

Hatty James looks a mess. Her muggle clothing is crumpled and her badly applied eyeliner is smudged down one cheek. She catches me looking at her and a flash of hatred appears in her hazel eyes before she turns back to the window. Sighing, I put down the Potions book, knowing what I have to do.

"He didn't cheat on you," I state. My words force her eyes to shut as if she is attempting to shut out the hurt she must be feeling. "I know what it looked like but for once, nothing actually happened," I continue, unsure whether she wants me to or not as she doesn't say a word. "It was my fault. He was just helping me pick up my books and I made a move on him. He pushed me away but I tried again. He pulled me behind the tapestry to avoid anyone seeing us, not because he was kissing me but because he was being a gentleman of sorts, not wanting to let anyone see him reject me. If that even makes sense. He loves you. Or that's what he said anyway, personally I don't think love really exists but there you, that just a personal opinion," I ramble. "Anyway, he didn't cheat on you. Trust me. I can even give you my memory if you want," I suggest.

Hatty James shakes her head slowly, never looking away from the window as the London begins to roll out of view. Oh well, I did what I could. Relaxing back into the compartment bench, I pick up the Potions book and begin leafing through its musty pages. When the lady with the trolley comes by, I get a selection of Chocolate Frogs and I can see Hatty eyeing the Liquorice Wands in my peripheries so I buy a couple of them too and throw them to her. She looks startled but says nothing, just turning the wands over in her hands a couple of times.

"Why should I believe you?" she whispers at last.

"Put it this way, I've kissed my share of boys at Hogwarts – in fact, I've kissed a lot of people's share of boys at Hogwarts* – but never before have I ever told one of their ex-girlfriends that it didn't happen. Because it did. But Brookes never kissed me and he pulled away from my advances. This has probably already ruined your Christmas, don't make is ruin the rest of your year as well," I shrug. "Besides, I've already offered you my memory and I know a place we can find a Pensieve," I add on, thinking of the Room of Requirement.

She says nothing for a moment, just staring at the Liquorice Wands in her hands.

"Thanks for these," she murmurs at last.

"No problem," I shrug, picking up my Potions book once again when she makes it clear the conversation has stopped. We do not speak again until the train rolls up into Hogsmeade Station. "Remember what I said," I nod before exiting the compartment and scaring a group of First Years out of my way.

Deciding to raid the kitchens later, I skip the Welcome Feast and head down to the dungeons with a vial of potion in my pocket. As always, Zabini has left his door unlocked and I slip into the silent Potions classroom and deposit the vial of molten grey liquid on his desk with a note explaining what it is. As I head towards the kitchens, I get the feeling that someone is watching me but I quickly shake it off, dismissing it probably one of the sparse portraits that hang in the dungeon corridors.

Tickling the pear to open the kitchen door, I head a faint chuckle behind me.

"So that's how you get in," murmurs the unmistakable voice of Scorpius Malfoy. "I'll have to remember that," he smirks as I turn to face him, his silvery-grey eyes boarding into my blue ones with such intensity that they look like molten metal… And that is when I realise what the colour of my potion reminded me off.

* * *

**Auhor's Note:**

**So because I was not overly pleased with Chapter Eight (sorry that look so long to update, I had image issues) here is Chapter Nine. I hope you like it and let me know what you think either here or no my blog. Thank you so much for reading and sticking with this story and I hope you like what is too come, Irish Myth.**


	10. X

**Chapter Ten**

"Malfoy," I attempt to growl but for some reason, the breath that escaped my lungs becomes caught in my throat and his name is released with a slight gasp. His smirk widens as he steps towards me, forcing me back through the portrait hole and into the kitchens.

"Thorn," he murmurs huskily. His voice is so low; I involuntarily lean towards him. He chuckles darkly and I have to resist the urge to touch him. Whether to slap him or pull him closer, I am not entirely sure. Heat and lust seem to take over my body as he continues to step towards me. With each of his steps, I too step backwards. His molten eyes burn into mine causing my heart to race in a way I am not all too familiar with.

The Welcome Feast must be over as the kitchens are practically empty with only a few sparse House Elves wandering about. In my peripheral vision, I catch sight of a couple of them scurrying away and disappearing to Merlin knows where. As Malfoy steps still closer, the House Elves flee from my mind. The solid wood of one of the four long tables digs into the back of my thighs and I realise I am trapped. Malfoy smirks.

With one last step, Malfoy comes to a stop barely a breath away from me. I can feel the heat radiating from his body as he smirks down at me. Slowly, he lifts one hand to my shoulder, trailing a finger across my collar bone without breaking his eyes from mine. My skin seems to burn where he touches it. He traces the bone back to the shoulder and then runs it down my arm, sending a shiver down my spine. His smirk widens.

As his other hand comes to rest on my waist so lightly I can barely feel it, my jaw decides to clench. The fingers that are touching my hand flutter up to my face and gently caress my jawline, urging the muscles to relax. A finger brushes against my lips and they open in an involuntary gasp. A strange whining noise escapes me and I find my body propelling itself forward, towards him. He steps away, just out of reach.

My eyes flash with anger and he chuckles.

"Did you miss me Thorn?" he murmurs in my ear, stepping ever so slightly closer to me again. I find myself torn between wanting to annihilate him and wanting to press my body flush against him. My mind suggests the first; the rest of me, the second.

I decide it is time to turn the tables. My hand reaches up to the v-shaped hollow at the base of his neck and I trace a finger down his chest slowly until I reach his belt. His eyes widen in shock and as I run my finger back up, his eyes closed momentarily. Now it is my turn to smirk.

I step closer to him so that our robes are just touching, curling a hand around his neck. His eyes close again and he leans into my hand. I reach up on tiptoes and release the smallest of sighs millimetres from his lips. As he leans forward, I pull away, slipped around him so that I am stood behind him. He begins to turn around but freezes when he feels my hands on his back and my breath on his neck. I slide my hands down his sides and around to his front. He lets out a groan and falls forward, his hands reaching out to the table to steady himself.

Swiftly, I pull him around so that he is facing me. I close the distances between us, pressing my entire body up against his and I can feel his excitement digging into my thigh. I run my hands up his chest to grip his shoulders. His eyes flash open and consume mine. There is a fiery lust within them that makes my already taunt body shiver with delight. He stares at me for several painful moments before reaching a hand up to curl around my neck and yank me forward to meet his lips.

He swallows my moan as I sink into him, losing myself in his kiss.

~x~

There are moments in your life when you question everything. Everything. As Malfoy pulls me closer against him, I find myself in one of those moments. A myriad of thoughts flutter through my mind but I cannot seem to fix on any one of them. All I know is that Malfoy is kissing me and I am not being paid to kiss him back… And that doesn't bother me.

Time seems to fade into nothing as I let my tongue run over his moist lips. His moan vibrates through my body as he opens his mouth to let my tongue in. I forget I even have the gift of sight as my world becomes a dizzying kaleidoscope of colours and sounds are left forgotten before I even recognise them. There is something different about kissing Scorpius Malfoy. Something exciting. Maybe it is because I am doing this without someone asking me to. Almost like I actually liked the guy…

"Dammit Thorn," he moans against my lips. "You are the perfect distraction."

It takes several long and painful moments for his words to register in my mind. Distraction. I am a _distraction_. That is all I am to him. A fucking _distraction_. A very big part of me knows I should not care in the slightest that that is all he views me as but for some reason, my pride (I am still a Gryffindor despite the rumours I hexed the Sorting Hat) gets the better of me and I pull away, rage building in my chest like fiendfyre.

Shoving him away from me, I spin on my heel, deciding it is probably best if I leave without a word. I could never have him guess that his words stung me in far more than they should have done. When I am almost at the entrance hole, a hand grabs my arm just above the elbow and force me back around.

"Thorn…?" Malfoy asks calmly, an eyebrow raised slightly to making him look somewhat amused. "Is something the matter?"

"Not at all, I simply figured you had been distracted enough," I reply in a tone only slightly more clipped and cold than usual. "Is there a problem?"

"No… no… I just…" he mutters, a frown creasing his forehead that suggests his mind is full of thoughts he cannot quite fathom but the corner of his mouth is tilted up in the faintest of half-smiles. He looks on the verge of saying more but suddenly his features change from somewhat amused and thoughtful to resigned and distant. "Nothing. Thank you for your time," he nods before stepping around me and out of the entrance hole without another word.

In the past few years, people have hurled insults at me as I walk down the corridor, or when they travel in packs across the courtyards, or over the Quidditch pitch as I smash a Bludger at their team. 'Whore' and 'slut' are words that I have become all too familiar with due to the nature of my 'job'. And yet _never_, through all of those insults and snide remarks, have I _ever_ felt as used as I do right now.

Shame burns my cheeks as I blink away the shock of this sudden emotion. I was a distraction. That was all I was. All I was good enough to be. And I had brought it upon myself. I had willingly allowed myself to kiss someone without having a reason to do so. I had willingly let my body's instincts get the better of me as I practically threw myself at Malfoy. He had used me to distract himself from whatever problems he had in his life and once his mind had had a sufficient break, he left. He chose me because I had had no qualms about kissing him before. No doubt he thought I was easy as I had kissed the majority of his dorm-mates, not to mention the lengthy list of other boys at Hogwarts. What did it matter to him that I had a reputation? He wasn't planning for me to be anything special.

While these kisses between him and I had been different because I wasn't being paid to do it… They were only different for me. For him, they were just another distraction. I made it easy for him; he didn't have to go through the hassle of getting himself a girlfriend who would be insistent on knowing all his problems. I was easy. So he used me. And I deserved it. I was a fool to think I was anything more. I was a fool not to see how disposable I was to him. I was a fool to even think that what I had with Malfoy was anything even _remotely_ special.

So still reeling from shock and shame, I blink once more before heading out of the kitchen myself, my appetite having disappeared for perhaps the first time in my life.

~x~

The rain outside deters me from wandering around the Black Lake so I decide to head towards the Owlery, knowing it will almost certainly be empty at this time, especially on the first day of term. A cold wind whips down the stairwell as I head up to the circular room and I quickly summon my cloak from my trunk in my dorm. It takes a few seconds to arrive in which I stand, close to shivering, looking out at the vast blackness of the Hogwarts' grounds.

Fastening my cloak with the emerald broach that Dominique had brought back from France for me a year ago, I glance around the seemingly deserted Owlery only to find it not quite as deserted as I had hoped. In the far corner, tucked onto one of the smaller window ledges, was a girl with hair so pale is glowed in the moonlight. She had her knees tucked up under her chin with her head resting in her arms as she shook gently. At first, I think she is shivering… but then it occurs to me that she is, in fact, crying.

I stare at her awkwardly, wondering if I would be able to slip away before she notices I am here. It is at that point that I realise I have seen her before, in a fairly similar situation… Except then we were in the toilets rather than up here in the freezing Owlery with no cubicles to duck into and out of sight. As I make to go back down the steps, my boot lands on a pile of regurgitated bones which crackle underfoot and alert the girl to my presence.

"Oh," Faye Rivers gasps, her head snapping up to see me. She stares at me in shock for a moment before bursting into tears again, this time not even bothering to wipe them away. I stand frozen, half a mind to leave her to it and half a mind to make sure she is okay. This indecision in itself unsettles me as usually I would have walked straight out without a second thought but when I find myself crossing the feather covered floor of the Owlery and heading for the bawling girl, I really begin to question my sanity.

Deciding not to bother asking if she is okay, as she clearly isn't, I sit beside her and rub her back in a fashion that my mother used to do when I was a child. She sobs for a while longer before hiccupping to a stop.

"I'm so sorry," she mutters. "I usually have far more control of myself but lately…" she trails off, tears thickening her voice again. "You don't have to stay, I'll be fine," she manages a weak smile as she hands me the perfect escape route but something tells me that she doesn't really want me to go so I just shake my head and continue rubbing her back. "I'm Faye," she adds on.

"Rose," I nod. "Although the terms 'whore' and 'bitch' might be more familiar to you."

"Does that not bother you? What they call you?" she asks and I have to admire her directness.

"No. Why should I care what they think? I don't need any of them in my life and when I leave here, I will hopefully not have to see any of them again," I explain but a tightening in my chest tells me the words are not quite as true as they once were.

"Oh… I wish I had your confidence," she confides.

"Just because my reputation doesn't bother me, doesn't mean I would wish it on anyone else. I live my life the way I do for my reasons, I would strongly advise you not to want any of my traits because the cost of them is higher than you might be prepared to pay," I reply with a little too much bitterness for my own liking.

"I'm pregnant."

Her confession takes a moment to register in my mind. My hand hesitates on her back and she looks up at me, fixing her amber eyes on mine. She looks so sad and I cannot help but think that pregnant women should be happy, not sad. Sadness could not possibly be good for either the mother or child.

"I'm sorry, you probably don't care about my problems," she quickly mutters, looking down. I cannot help but notice there is no resentment in her voice, she sounds perfectly sincere and apologetic for landing me in a potentially awkward situation. A part of me agrees with her but then I imagine that if I were in her position…

"Does he know?" I ask.

"The father? Yes… but he wants nothing to do with any of it," she mutters through clenched jaws, forcing herself not to cry anymore. "He acts like he doesn't care but I can't tell if it's an act and he is just as scared as I am or if he really is completely heartless," she explains. "He messes with my head, Rose, he's been messing with it for well over a year now," she sighs.

"What about your parents? Have you told them?" I ask. She falls very quiet for a moment, gazing out across the blackness, before replying in a barely audible whisper.

"My parents are dead."

~x~

After taking Faye Rivers to the Hufflepuff dorms and telling her that she needs to speak to Madame Pomfrey at least, I finally head back to the Gryffindor common room. It must be the early hours of the morning but I doubt very much that I will be able to sleep. Thoughts swirl around my head in a hopeless disarray.

Today my very narrow emotional range as been stretched and twisted and mutated until, for the first time in years, I am not sure what I am feeling anymore. Panic sinks its claws into my chest as I pace the common room. I hate not being fully in control. I hate feeling anything, let alone confusion about what I feel. I hate not understanding what has disturbed me to this extent.

Hatty James. Scorpius Malfoy. Faye Rivers. The names swirl around in my head and I cannot help but think that a month ago, anything that I had done or said to these people today, would never have happened. Something is messing with my previously content existence and I cannot say I particularly like it. I do not like _feeling_. Because, truth be told, it scares me _shitless_.

~x~

With dread in my stomach and a mask firmly in place across my face and all my guards up, I head down towards the dungeons for Potions. Zabini immediately pulls me aside to congratulate me on the potion I had left on his desk yesterday (that I had entirely forgotten about) before letting me sit down.

"Today I want you to join back up with your partner and chose a potion from one of the books on the shelves at the back to the classroom to brew. Begin," Zabini orders without any preamble. Malfoy immediately gets up to grad a book which he subsequently beings to leaf through. When he pushes the book towards me, opened on page 923, I glance at the ingredients, memorize them and get up to collect them. It doesn't matter to be what potion we do, so long as we do it better than everyone else does theirs.

We cut, measure and stir in silence. Neither of utters a word and I can sense him growing increasingly uncomfortable. Much to my delight, the silence does not affect me and I can feel the calmness I am so acquainted with settling over me once more. Of course, I have no trouble at all with the potion, Malfoy picked an easy one, and we are finished well before anyone else.

"So what have we got here?" Zabini murmurs from behind me.

"Mood Telling Potion," Malfoy replies for me. Glancing down at the text book in confusion, I realise that we have indeed made a Mood Telling Potion. I wonder why Malfoy picked that one… no doubt because it was so simple.

"Interesting," Zabini drawls. "But perhaps a more advanced potion would be more appropriate for two students such as yourselves," he queries. "If you are interested in being more in tune with other people's emotions, then perhaps you could try the Aura Elixir which allows the drinker to see the auras of those around him? If you have the book I asked Malfoy to give you, you shall find it on page 963." With a swish of his long, black robes, Zabini wanders off to sneer into Albus' failed Draught of Living Death.

Malfoy looks on the verge of saying something so I swiftly pull out the book in question and charm it to the correct page. A faint sigh escapes his lips as he looks resignedly down at the finished potion in our cauldron. I suggest he fetches some vials to put it in while I begin collect ingredients for our next potion.

"You are aware this potion takes three weeks to brew, right?" he mutters darkly when I return with an armful of ingredients.

"Have you ever heard of the Draught of Beauty?" I ask.

"Yes," he frowns, looking puzzled.

"That takes seven hundred and seventy seven days to brew."

"Oh."

~x~

_Dear Rose,_

_Paris is so beautiful this time of year, next Christmas I insist you come and visit me! How is beloved Hogwarts? Is the snow six feet deep yet? I met a beautiful boy yesterday; he had hair the colour of the Gryffindor lion and eyes like the sea in the summer. If only I had a heart to give him… but alas, I fear my heart still belongs to Saskian. It is such a pity for we would truly have made a beautiful pair._

_You must tell me if any of the Hogwarts boys have suddenly become dashingly handsome over Christmas. I am dying to hear of the man who will eventually capture your heart. Perhaps though you must wait until you come to France for English boys really cannot compare._

_I arrive in England on the 24__th__ of February and I expect to see you in Hogsmeade the following Saturday. I will not take any excuses, even if it is not a Hogsmeade weekend. You are a Weasley and all Weasleys know how to escape the castle grounds some way or other. Besides, I am exceedingly curious to meet this Mr Malfoy who writes such exquisite verse. _

_Anyway, I shall not bore you with more of my drabble. Be well, ma chère, and send Albus my love and thanks for his delightful Christmas present. Much love, Dominique._

I roll my eyes towards the end of her letter: Albus had bought her an Exploding Dungbomb II from George's shop which, when let off, would vanish and leave a ghastly smell for several hours then, after ten minutes of a stink free area, it would appear and set itself off again. Dominique, of course, had seen it coming and had flooed over to Albus' bedroom and deposited it under his bed while he was asleep. Apparently Ginny had to get George to come and get rid of it for her.

Finding a quill amongst the debris of my trunk, I smooth out some parchment and begin my response…

_Dear Dominique,_

_Hogwarts is as beautiful as ever although some of the students often mar the perfection of the view. It cannot be helped that these English boys lack the finesse of their French counterparts. As for your beautiful boy, I have no doubt that you will find something to do with him to entertain yourself. I know you lost your heart to Saskian _(Saskian was Dominique's first owl who had died stuck in a chimney because she had overfed it)_but pinning after him will do you no good. You must live your life… Or some other such crap our mothers come up with._

_Of course I shall meet you in Hogsmeade! I will write to Pollux and arrange a place for us to meet, I have no doubt that he is just as excited to meet you as you are to meet him. Although you must not be offended if his excitement does not show though, he is rather reserved._

_Albus will not accept your love or thanks so I shall not bother giving them to him._

_Enjoy the French air while you can, Rose._

Folding my reply up, I pull on my cloak to head to the Owlery and slip, unnoticed, through the common room. Albus is currently trying to round up our Quidditch team to go over game plans that we already know like the back of our hands. He needs to find himself a girl.

As expected, the Owlery is freezing in the fading evening light but the view is spectacular. I call down Nox, my owl, and attach the letter before giving him a treat and watching him fly towards the Southern horizon.

"Oh, hello Rose," someone greats me.

"Rivers," I nod as she comes closer.

"Just call me Faye, you know more about me than anyone on last name terms should," she smiles and I note with relief that she does not look on the verge of tears today. "This is the second day in a row we've dumped into each other in the Owlery, you probably think I am following you," she laughs.

"Not at all. Yesterday you were here first and today I was here first so I think it is safe to say it is merely coincidence," I explain and she just smiles. Hufflepuffs never were ones for the particulars. "How are you?"

"Not too bad, hanging in there," she sighs. "I went to see Madame Pomfrey today, like you suggested. She was very sweet about the whole thing although I could tell she was not all that impressed. She says I'll have to have a check-up at St Mungo's though soon."

"St Mungo's is bound to confidentiality, it is not possible for them to spill your secret if you do not wish them to do so," I inform her. "Have you spoken to the father again?"

"No," she looks down uncomfortably at her hands. "He just ignores me, as if I don't even exist."

"Surely he cannot ignore you forever, you must dump into each other in your common room or something," I frown.

"He's not in my House."

"Oh…"

"Merlin Rose, he makes me feel so shit," she snaps. "He used to make me feel amazing, like I was the only person in the world for him but now he won't even _look_ at me! I don't know what to do Rose… I- I think I love him," she finishes in a whisper. I blink in surprise. That a girl could be in love with someone who treated her the way this boy clearly did, is something I cannot quite get my head around… especially at their age. So I ask the only question I can think of.

"Who is he?"

She sighs sadly, her blonde hair falling forward to cover her pretty face, before whispering a name, a name that sends a cold shiver of shock down my spine: "Malfoy."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I'm so, so sorry it has taken me so long! But here it is, please let me know what you think in a lovely little review. And please come and check out my blog (link on profile page) to ask questions etc. I promise I will get around to asking the ones in the queue in the next few days. Thank you for reading and I hope my next update will be quicker than this was.**

**~ IrishMythe**


	11. XI

**Chapter Eleven**

The cold slick of fury swept down my spine as I turned away from her. My lungs felt constricted as I tried not to gasp for air. _Oh what I fool I was_. A hopeless fool. Not once had I ever questioned what exactly it was that Malfoy needed distracting _from_. I had never enquired further about his strange reaction the first time I mentioned Faye Rivers. How could I not have put two and two together? Instead I had let him use me mercilessly while a naïve young girl was suffering horrendously because of something _he_ had done.

Malfoy had always appeared so gentleman like, almost as proper as his brother. It seems so uncharacteristic of him to bed and subsequently desert a girl like Rivers. That he would just have abandoned her when she needed him just did not make sense. Merlin, I was such a fool. I had fallen so completely for his wounded, fragile act.

"Rose?" Rivers murmurs. "Are you alright?"

"Of course," I lie.

"Do you know him?" she frowns.

"Who?"

"Malfoy?"

"Not particularly," I sigh. After all, how much did I really know about him? I knew about his family; I knew about his academic success… but I did not really _know_ him. I knew nothing personal about him, nothing that would suggest I was anything more than one of his classmates. So no, I did not know him. "I'm afraid I have to finish an essay," I say, making to move towards the stairs.

"Oh," she mutters, somewhat alarmed at my sudden decision to leave. Her reaction bothers me slightly. Why should she think I would stay? I am not her friend, I have no real reason to talk to her; she is just someone I keep coming across by chance. There is no reason I should stay, no reason I should actually befriend her. I have no real friends and that is how I would like to keep it.

"I'll see you around," I mutter hastily as I stride towards the staircase. She just nods and mumbles a 'goodbye'. I try to supress the pang of guilt that hits me at the crushed look on her face. She must honestly have believed that I cared.

~x~

The Great Hall is almost empty as I stride in the following morning. There are a few students reading over their breakfast at the Ravenclaw table and the sparse Slytherin glowering at nothing but the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables are practically vacant. I make to move to the opposite end of the Gryffindor table to its one occupant when the blonde haired boy glances up and smiles shyly at me.

"Rose," he mutters, blushing slightly. "You're down here early."

"I could say the same thing about you Henderson," I smirk down at Will. "Mind if I sit here?" I indicate to the bench opposite him and he almost splutters in agreement. After our chat at my Grandparents house on Christmas Eve I cannot help but think Will is a far more interesting person than I gave him credit for.

"So you glad to be back?" he asks.

"What, at Hogwarts?" Will nods. "Yes, believe it or not but it is far more peaceful here than at home with my family."

"Oh after meeting them at your Grandparents' I can definitely believe that," he smiles, helping himself to another piece of toast. "They all seem pretty fun though, although your cousin Dominique scares the shit out of me," he snorts and I almost chuckle.

"Yeah, Dominique isn't the friendliest of people," smirking, I reach for the orange juice. "She's not actually that scary though, she just likes people to think she is."

"Sometimes I wonder if that is the case for the majority of your family," he smirks slightly in a most uncharacteristic way.

"For the most part… Except Louis, you never want to get on the wrong side of him, he really is actually scarier than he likes people to believe."

"And Lily, I reckon she isn't as innocent as she looks." I look up from my breakfast at that moment to see Will's expression has softened and he looks inexplicable happy. "She's one fierce Beater to say the least… Don't get me wrong, you're definitely the best but she's pretty good too considering she's never played an actual game before."

"Neither have you and you're pretty good as well. Albus wouldn't have you on the team otherwise," I frown, trying to understand the look on Will's face.

"Thanks," he mutters, glancing down at his plate and blushing slightly. "But not like her… Some people are just born to fly, you know? I mean I love flying but I don't think I was _born_ to do it. I could never be good enough to play professionally whereas I think Lily could. You and Al could as well," he rambles.

"Albus _will_, there is nothing else he could do," I chuckle slightly. "I won't though, there is far too much publicity and fame," I shrug. "I don't know about Lily though, I'm not sure what she wants to do after Hogwarts." Will nods but that looks is still in his eyes, that soft faraway look which is setting off alarm bells in my head. Oh Merlin.

"Will…" I begin hesitantly. This could become uncomfortable but I have learned from experience it is better to know sooner rather than later. "I… Lily is a great girl and all and as much as I think you two would complement each other well, I just… Lily's heart belongs somewhere else," I try to explain gently. I knew it did, I had seen the way she blushed whenever Keegan smiled at her.

Will looked up and held my gaze. His face still held that peculiar softness but there was now an element of faint amusement. "Don't worry Rose," he sighs at last, a faint smile on his lips. "So does mine."

"Oh… Oh okay, I just thought…" I mutter, more from confused than embarrassment as it was unusually for me to be wrong about this sort of thing. Over the years I have developed a fairly good eye for seeing what people feel for each other. It was me that first spotted that Castor liked Molly just as much as she liked him. It was me that realised that Roxanne and Sven were engaged before they made the announcement. It was me who could tell that Bethan was going to end things with James before it happened. So how had I misread the signs Will had just been showing? Unless of course he was lying to me. But that didn't seem like Will.

"Don't worry about it Rose," he smiles. "It's fine."

"Right," I frown again.

"So you going to explain why you came back to the common room yesterday looking like you wanted to slaughter everyone within hexing distance?" he asks suddenly, no doubt in an attempt to pull the conversation away from my mistake. His words however, cause my mood to darken considerably and by the look on his face he dearly wishes he could take them back. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," he adds on quickly.

"I'd rather not," is my cold reply. Taking a deep breath, I force myself to calm down and supress the anger boiling inside me. I have to remind myself that there is no reason for me to be angry with Malfoy. He never meant anything to me and I have no right to judge him as I do not know the entire circumstances surrounding the situation. Although from what Rivers has told me, he is a rather despicable human being. That is all. It is nothing personal to me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Will mumbles uncertainly.

"It's fine, I just learned something unpleasant, that's all," I shrug. "So Quidditch should be interesting this afternoon," I try to change the subject, something Will looks immensely grateful for.

"Oh yes, watching Al's face when none of him team are talking is going to absolutely bloody fantastic!" Will snorts. "He's going to end up in St Mungo's with a brain haemorrhage!" Will's expression is torn between amused and terrified and I cannot help the small chuckle that escapes my lips. At the sound, he turns to grin at me and his smile is so infections I cannot help but smile back.

A clattering across the Hall pulls my gaze over Will's shoulder only to fix on Malfoy, who appears to have dropped his knife. He catches my gaze and the smile slips from my face, being replaced with a cold loathing. Malfoy's face remains expressionless as he abandons his breakfast and leaves the Hall as fast as he can without tarnishing his dignity.

~x~

"What the fuck is going on here!" Albus practically screeches from where he is hovering by the goal posts. Lucy has missed her eleventh shot in a row and not because Dave is saving them but because they are so wildly off the mark a three year old muggle could have aimed better. "Right! This is _it_! Everyone get down to the ground and into the changing rooms _immediately_!" he orders, the colour in his face turning purple with rage.

"Looks like you might be right about that brain haemorrhage," I mutter to Will as we touch down. Will gives a weak smile, looking troubled.

"This is a disaster, if we play like this, we're going to lose to _Hufflepuff_," he mutters.

"Relax," I sigh. "It's only a game."

"To us maybe but you said so yourself – it's Al's future. What if there are Scouts at the game? His chances will be destroyed just because half our team isn't talking."

"Henderson shut up!" Albus snaps. "I have no fucking clue what is going on but the way you lot are playing, we will be a laughing stock to the rest of the _school_!" he seethes. "So is someone going to explain what the hell is going on or do I have to lock everyone in here until you sort it the fuck out!"

Dave blanches considerable while Lucy just stares at her toes. Keegan and Lily are sharing worried glances, clearly concerned for Albus' health. Will is staring fixedly ahead. Albus moves his furious gaze to each member of the team in turn but no one speaks up. Finally he turns to me.

"Rose…" he looks almost desperate. "I know you don't particularly care what anyone in here thinks about you and you know more about people in this school than anyone probably should so I have no doubt that you know exactly what is going on here," he looks slightly ashamed at singling me out but he continues. "Please explain."

Will glances at me, trying to gage how I will respond and I notice Lucy flick her attention to me briefly before returning it to her shoes. Albus is waiting, looking on the verge of a break down.

"Some of the Quidditch Rules were broken," I sigh at last. He frowns. "Rule One obviously-"

"Anything that has happened, is happening or might happen outside the pitch, stays outside the pitch. Nothing matters in here except for Quidditch," Albus recites out of habit.

"-and Rule Seven."

"Rule Seven?" he repeats.

" This team is like a family. But a very platonic family. There will be no dating any other member of this team and it would be preferred it if you did not date members of the other Quidditch teams either to prevent tensions arising that are not due to the actual game," I clarify.

The colour drains from his face as he glances around at the team. "Who?"

No one responds. No one makes eye contact with Albus. No one even dares breathe.

"_Who_?" he repeats and then his eyes rest on Dave. "Please tell me this has nothing to do with whatever you three were arguing about," he shoots a glance between Lucy, Dave and I.

"We weren't arguing," Dave mutters.

"I don't give a shit," Albus snaps. "I want the three of you to either sort it out, get over it or quit the team." His voice is more serious than I have ever heard it. Dave's eyes go wide, Lucy sighs and I just raise an eyebrow. "Now Rose has been playing perfectly fine so I don't see why you two can't either," he sighs. "Just sort it out by next practice. Team dismissed."

~x~

"Rose," someone called my name as I headed back up to the castle. My thoughts were so far away I barely heard them and when I did it was too late. Dave had caught with me. "Rose, we need to talk," he said clearly. The pleading tone that had graced his voice whenever he had tried talking to me lately had vanished. He looked determined. "I know that you don't have any feelings for me – you've made that pretty clear – but I want to know why you did it."

"Did what?" I frown.

"Kiss me… Flirt with me… Make me think I stood a chance," he elaborated.

"I was unaware you were looking for a chance," I reply elusively.

"Did you know?" he asks as if I had not responded.

"Know what Dave, you are going to have to be more specific," I sigh in exasperation.

"About me and Lucy?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it _matters_ Rose!" he snaps.

"Yes, yes I knew."

"How could you _do_ that?" he grabs my arm and pulls me around to face him. "You lead me on even though you knew I was seeing your _cousin_?" he looks somewhat disgusted and I cannot help but think he is being somewhat hypocritical. "_Why_?"

"Because I can Dave," I reply. "Because I can," I repeat, pulling my arm out of his grip and turning away from him. He doesn't deserve the truth. He does _not_ deserve the truth. It was his decision to see Lucy in secret and it was his decision to kiss me. Besides, there was one rule I lived by it was that I would never tell anyone why I did what I did. It just made things messy. If Lucy wanted him to know she had asked me to do it, she could tell him. It wasn't my place. That was her decision. Her choice.

~x~

_Dear Dominique,_

_I hope France is peaceful. Life is getting messy here. Lucy and Dave are not talking and it is making Quidditch almost unbearable. Albus threatened to kick the three of us off the team if we did not sort it out. All I can say is that I feel sorry for Lily, I know how she feels about a certain team member and all this mess between Dave and Lucy is just enforcing the 'no dating team members' rule. She doesn't let it show though; I guess she's more like me than I thought._

_You remember Will Henderson from Christmas Eve? What did you think about him because he is revealing himself to be far more complex than I originally gave him credit for. I thought he may have liked Lily but apparently not… You're the writer, you said you knew about studying people, any clue what's going on in his head?_

_I will not deny that I am looking forward to your visit more and more as Hogwarts is becoming rather tedious. Just as a thought, have you not met Pollux before? He's your brother's best friend? Just wondering. Also, does anyone else know your book is being published yet?_

_I am jealous of your freedom,_

_Rose._

As I head to the Owlery, I find myself yelling at a frightened bunch of First Years because they walk to slowly on their short little legs. I cannot stand people who walk slowly. The castle corridors are practically deserted as most people are in the Great Hall for dinner. Quite frankly I have had enough of people for one day so once I had delivered my letter, I headed down to the kitchens for something to eat.

"Shit," someone jumped in surprise as I stepped through the entrance hole. Great. People. Or person. "Oh Rose, what are you doing down here?" my brother muttered, his entire face flushed red.

"I'll just be leaving then," a deep voice sounded from one of the armchairs by the fire that James, Castor and I had brought down here in my First Year. A tall man stood up with a shock black hair and the shadows of stubble on his jawline. "Weasley," he nodded to Hugo before stepping around me and out of sight. As the door swung shut behind me, I turned back to Hugo with a raised eyebrow.

"Hugo… May I ask what exactly you were doing talking to Logan Moon in the kitchens?"

"Nothing, nothing, we were just talking," Hugo muttered, slumping back into the armchair he had jumped out of when I came in. I just give him a look and eventually he sighs, puffing out his cheeks before letting the air out. "He was just helping me out with some stuff, that's all," he shrugs.

"You know, if it wasn't or the fact that your face is currently redder than Dad's when he watches the Canons play, I would have believed you," I smile. "Even if that were the case, what could a Seventh Year Slytherin possibly be helping you out with? If it was school work you would have come to me, you've done it before."

"Just drop it Rose, it's none of your business," he snaps.

"Fine," I shrug. "Are you hungry?" He looks at me like he can't quite believe I would drop something like that just because he asked me to. At the end of the day, it is his business after all and he isn't exactly a kid anymore.

"Starved," he sighs at last. I grab a tray of chicken wings from a passing House Elf and sink into the seat on Hugo's right, offering the tray to him. "So… What brings you down here then?"

"I got fed up with people," I shrug.

"I heard Al threatened to kick you off the team. He must be raving mad, you're the best Beater Gryffindor's seen since Fred and George were at school."

"Yeah well if the team can't work together it doesn't matter how good the individual players are."

"Did you really kiss Dave behind Lucy's back?" he frowned. Apparently someone is letting slip the whole thing to the general population. It was probably Martha Henderson. I just shrug. "She asked you to do it didn't she?" Hugo continues. I stop trying to find a clean way to eat the chicken wing and look up at Hugo. There was no way he could have figured that out.

"What makes you say that?" I ask suspiciously.

"Well I figured that if you would kiss Brookes for me, you would kiss McLaggen for Lucy," he shrugged. "I know you don't really care what people think about you, Rose, but you're not that much of a bitch that you would snog Lucy's boyfriend just for the thrill of it."

I just stare at him. There is no way in hell Hugo figured that out by himself.

"Did she tell you?"

"Who?"

"Lucy… Did she tell you she asked me to do it?"

"No," he inspects his chicken. "Is that what you always do? Is that why you're only ever caught snogging peoples boyfriends and never single people? Is that why it is only ever their girlfriends that catch you?" Hugo continues on as if this were a perfectly ordinary conversation. "Because that's messed up Rose. Seriously messed up."

"Did James tell you?" I ask, not thinking clearly through my shock.

"James?" Hugo frowns and then his eyes light up. "That's what you and James fell out over! Merlin's saggy left-"

"Thank you Hugo," I cut in.

"Shit, _that_ was it? You fell out with your best friend since birth because of _that_? Are you fucking _kidding_ me? What the hell is _wrong_ with you?" he asks disbelievingly. "Well fuck me," he whistles, slumping back into his chair. "Shit Rose, what the hell were you thinking?"

"You don't know the whole story," I snap. "How the hell did you figure all that out anyway? Does everyone know? You couldn't have possibly figured that out on your own! Who told you?" I ask in rapid succession. Hugo looks at me like I am stupid.

"I'm not an idiot Rose," he sighs. "I know I'm not as smart as you or mum but I'm not an idiot and you are my sister. I knew something wasn't right and after what happened with Brookes… I guess it all just slipped into place. Seriously though, anyone could figure it out if they stopped to think about it."

"Well apparently Hogwarts students have below average intelligence," I mutter darkly. "Did you honestly figure that out yourself?" I look at him incredulously.

"Yes Rose," he snorts.

"Well shit," I mutter. Hugo pulls a face at me and I throw the rest of my chicken wing at him.

"You're changing again," he suddenly stated.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not quite as distant anymore, I feel like I could actually talk to you and you would listen to me rather than just blank me like you usually do," he shrugs. "You smile more too." I snort at the last part but it doesn't quite cover up the guilt I feel. Hugo is my brother and I have been neglecting him these last few years.

"I'm sorry Hugh," I confess.

"Eh, don't worry about it Rosie," he smirks and I throw another chicken wing at him.

"Don't _ever_ call me Rosie," I snarl.

~x~

As I leave the warmth of the kitchens, I shiver slightly. Hugo had left a while before me after remembering he had an essay due for Professor Longbottom tomorrow and the castle suddenly seems extremely empty. As I reach the Entrance Hall and make for the Grand Staircase, I hear voices coming from the corridor that leads down to the dungeons.

Curiosity, as always, gets the better of me and I pull my robes tighter around me and tiptoe silently towards the corridor. One of the voices I recognise immediately as Malfoy's but the other isn't as clear. Malfoy is furious and seems to be threatening the other boy. I peer around a corner to find Malfoy pinning another, younger, student against the wall, a hand grabbing the collar of the boy's robes.

"Scor, get the fuck _off_ me," the younger boy snaps, apparently not all that intimidated by Malfoy's formidable appearance. "Just drop it okay?"

"Drop it?" Malfoy repeats darkly. "_Drop_ _it_?

"Yes, it's none of your business," the younger boy struggles. He has black hair that comes almost down to his shoulders and skin even paler than Malfoy's.

"None of my _business_?" Malfoy seethes, looking like he is an inch away from cursing the younger student to Hades and back. "What you have done is _despicable_! You can't just run away from your mistakes like-" Malfoy is suddenly cut off as the younger student's dark eyes dart towards me, warning him of my presence. Malfoy swivels around, letting go of the boy's collar.

"Weasley," he snaps. "Lurking around the dungeons again are we?" his voice is bitter and there is a deep seated anger in his eyes.

"Forgive me," I murmur, indicating to the younger boy. Malfoy glances down at him as if he had forgotten he was even there.

"Don't worry, Andrius was just leaving," Malfoy snaps and the boy takes off with one last furious glare at Malfoy. Andrius. I knew that name.

"Slightly hypocritical of you is it not," I murmur once the boy has vanished from sight. "Telling him not to run from his mistakes when you are more than capable of doing that exact thing…"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he snaps, his fists clenched.

"Of course you do Malfoy," I murmur again. "Perhaps a name would trigger your memory… What about… Faye Rivers," I sigh, looking him directly in the eye. "She told me."

"Told you what?" Malfoy frowned but I could see the uncertainty in his eyes.

"Are you really going to deny it?" I ask in disgust. "That's low even for you."

"Just spit it out Weasley," he sneers. I cannot help but notice that he called me Weasley rather than his customary 'Thorn'.

"That you got her pregnant and abandoned her," I spat out. Malfoy looks at me in horror for a moment. His eyes go wide and his complexion pales still further. He looks like someone had just poured a bucket of frozen water over him. He moves his mouth several times but no sounds come out. At last, he blinks and shakes himself from the shock enough to speak.

"You think the baby is _mine_?"

* * *

**Author's Note**

**So here it is, Chapter Eleven. I would love to know what you think about it. Firstly, I am so sorry it has taken me so long to write; I actually should have been revising for an exam rather than writing this but it suddenly came to me so here it is. As I'm a little out of sync with this story please tell me if any off it doesn't make sense and sorry for any and all spelling/grammar mistakes. Hugo wasn't supposed to appear in this chapter at all, let alone figure out Rose's little secret so I would love to hear what you think about that. Thank you so much for reading,**

**~ Irish Myth.**


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